Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, September 3
Former chief minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi, who heads the HAM(S), on Wednesday returned to the NDA to give new equations to the Bihar politics ahead of polls.
The former Bihar chief minister deserted the Grand Alliance and announced he would not contest the coming assembly elections as he was 78.
Manjhi’s return to the NDA may lead to the LJP to walk out from the ruling alliance. Party president Chirag Paswan had asserted that he would field candidates against the JDU nominees too.
Both LJP and HAM(S) have a common vote bank–Dalits.
Manjhi, who had described the chief minister Nitish Kumar in February 2018 while leaving NDA and joining Grand Alliance as anti-dalits and anti-poor. Making a U-turn, today he called the RJD president, anti-poor and anti-dalits.
In 2018, Manjhi had quit NDA alleging 99 per cent of those arrested for violating prohibition laws were poor and dalits. He had also protested against the appointment of K S Dwivedi as DG of police alleging he was held responsible for Bhagalpur riots in 1989 when he was SP.
Manjhi today alleged in Grand Alliance, his demand for co-ordination committee was not accepted by the RJD and the Congress. He felt humiliated by the RJD leaders.
The Mahadalit leader said he felt obliged to Nitish Kumar who made him chief minister. He claimed even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a great respected for him that he missed in RJD.
“Mai Lalu ke galat chakkar mai pad Gaya tha (I was in the bad company of Lalu). There was only corruption and Lalu family in RJD, others were neglected.
Manjhi, who is from the most backward among the dalits-rat eaters (Musahar) community was in the Congress since 1980 and member in the ministeries led by Jagannath Mishra and Bindeshwari Dubey. Later, he shifted to RJD and became minister in Lalu Cabinet. He swtiched over to JDU and became a minister in Nitish Kumar cabinet.
Manjhi clarified that his party would not merge with the JDU and would remain a part of the NDA.
Sushil Kumar Modi, deputy chief minister welcomed Manjhi in the NDA fold and assured he would get wider respect in the NDA. He was neglected by RJD leaders in Grand Alliance, Modi said.
Manjhi is the sole MLA of his party in Bihar assembly. His son, Santosh is a member of Upper House. He has reportedly demanded ten seats from JDU in the coming assembly elections.
