Manjhi leaves NDA, joins Grand Alliance

Former chief minister of Bihar and Hindustani Aam Morcha (secular) president Jitan Ram Manjhi on Wednesday quit the NDA and joined grand alliance led by Lalu Prasad.

He made the announcement after the leader of opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and eldest son of Lalu Prasad and former health minister Tejpratap Yadav called on him at his Strand road residence here this morning.

Lalu sons made a surprise visit to Manjhi before the budget session of the state assembly started its meeting.

Tejashwi claimed Manjhi was feeling suffocated in the NDA, he was being neglected and humiliated. He said, “I am like his son, he is our guardian. We will give him his due’.

According to Tejashwi, Manjhi fought for the poor and Dalits. He felt Dalits were being tortured during NDA regime and they were the worst victims of prohibition laws as thousands of Dalits have been jailed on charges of keeping even small quantity of liquor.

Manjhi had felt hurt last week as NDA leaders in the state turned down his demand for ticket to his nominee from Jehanabad assembly constituency where byelection is scheduled on March 11.

RJD is likely to nominate him as its candidate for Rajya Sabha biennial elections due on March 23. Meanwhile, four Congress MLCs were expelled by the party high-command on Wednesday night.

Ashok kumar Chaudhury, former president of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee, who was education minister in Nitish Kumar cabinet till last year and is among the four expelled legislators said they have joined JDU under the leadership of Nitish Kumar.

Three other Congress legislators joining JDU are Dilip Chaudhury, Ram chandra Bharti, Tanveer Akhtar.

Ashok said Rahul Gandhi was a good leader, but under the influence of poor leader like CP Joshi, general secretary of AICC in-charge of Bihar affairs.

Ashok is a dalit leader, while Dilip is a Brahmin leader of North Bihar.