Manjhi key factor in Bihar polls
Ousted chief minister and dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, whose chair was grabbed by Nitish Kumar, has now become the chief minister’s nemesis on the eve of Bihar polls. Reason being that former chief minister Manjhi was being seen as a leader whom every party, including the influential RJD, wants to woo. In fact, Lalu Prasad Yadav also attempts to bring Mr Manjhi with him. This has not only made Nitish Kumar angry and upset, but has torpedoed the efforts of reunification of the Janata Parivar.
Parivar sources said as a result of Manjhi factor the much- awaited merger of Janata Parivar was deferred because showing his preference to Mr Manjhi, Lalu cold shouldered Nitish Kumar and sent an offer to him urging him to join the Janata Parivar or get into an alliance.
However, after the meeting of Lalu Yadav and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, JD( U) general secretary K. C. Tyagi denied that Mr Manjhi was a factor, but RJD chief Lalu Yadav’s closest aide Raghuvansh Prasad Singh in his statement on Tuesday wondered, “I don’t know why Manjhi is being victimised? Leaders are asking him to repent. What are his sins?”
The sources said that alarm bells began to ring when Lalu Yadav saw BJP reciprocating to Mr Manjhi’s offer and started hinting at the possibility of joining hands with him in Bihar polls.
Jitan Ram Manjhi after being ousted from power in Bihar had floated his own political front Hindustani Awam Morcha and converted it into a political party with a pledge to counter Nitish Kumar and his detractors who had played significant role in dethroning him from power in Bihar.
According to RJD leaders, Mr Manjhi has suddenly become hot favourites of extremely backward communities in Bihar after he made several statements in favour of them and then later when he was expelled on the grounds of anti- party activities, dalits felt it was just not Mr Manjhi’s insult, but the entire community was insulted by Nitish Kumar. It was Nitish Kumar who had engineered the concept of merger hoping to capture Yadav vote bank which is 38 per cent and Lalu Yadav is said to be controlling the community even after being out of the power for almost a decade.
● The effort to woo Manjhi has not only made Nitish Kumar angry and upset, but has torpedoed the efforts of reunification of the Janata Parivar