Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi on Wednesday demanded statehood for Mithila region, in a bid to checkmate the BJP-led NDA's attempts to cash in on the translation of the Constitution in Maithili language.

The RJD leader, who is the leader of the Opposition in the state legislative council, raised the demand on the floor of the House where leaders of the ruling coalition were thanking the Centre for according the honour to the language.

When journalists approached her with queries later, she said, "Yes, I did say Mithila should be made a separate state. They (members of treasury bench) were busy lauding the Centre and the Prime Minister for translation of Constitution, which is fine. But we need something more concrete".

Notably, the state government had recently written to the Centre requesting the grant of classical language status to Maithili, spoken across Mithila in north Bihar as well as parts of adjoining Nepal.

Creation of "Mithilanchal" state is a demand raised by cultural activists of the region, albeit tepidly, from time to time.

This is, however, the first time when a top politician of Bihar, not hailing from Mithila, has spoken in favour of the demand.

Mithila, known for its rich culture and abundant produce of vegetables, fruits, and fisheries, remains plagued by poverty, with its dense population and recurring floods exacerbating the situation.

Rabri Devi's call for statehood contrasts with her husband Lalu Prasad's earlier stance on the creation of Jharkhand. Lalu had famously opposed the bifurcation of Bihar, declaring he would allow it "over my dead body," but eventually relented under pressure from the Congress, which was supporting his wife's minority government.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.