Manjhi hints at quitting Bihar alliance
■ HAM to take call June 26; may consider joining hands with JD-U
HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has raised political pitch in Bihar by hinting at quitting the grand alliance ahead of the Assembly polls. On Monday, he created a flutter in the state politics by saying that he will take a final decision on June 26.
Mr Manjhi has been upset with the RJD for not consulting alliance partners before taking any decisions and ignoring his demands for the formation of a coordination committee in the grand alliance. A week earlier, he had asked the RJD to form the coordination committee till June 25.
Sources close to him said that he has also been trying to convince the Congress and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP to form a third front before the election is announced.
“We have decided to take a final decision on June 26 after consulting our party leaders,” HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi said.
Sources, however, said that Mr Manjhi is also exploring the possibility to join hands with the JD(U) in case his plan to form a third front fails.
When Mr Manjhi was asked about his reaction on the issue he said, “There is no permanent friend or enemy in politics. You are aware that even Nitish Kumar was an ally of Lalu Yadav before he joined the NDA, so why is this question being asked.” Mr Manjhi, who is considered a mahadalit face in Bihar politics, is the only MLA from his party.
He had floated his political party HAM in 2015 and became part of the NDA after he was ousted from the JD(U) for rebelling against Nitish Kumar, who had installed him as the chief minister of Bihar. In March 2018, he joined the grand alliance led by the RJD.
While the RJD and Congress have been silent on these developments, the ruling JD(U) on Monday said that final decision regarding joining hands with Mr Manjhi will be decided by the top leadership of the party.