Manjhi hints at 3rd front in Bihar
■ Leader upset with RJD after party demand ignored
HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has raised political pitch in Bihar by hinting at the formation of the third front ahead of Assembly elections.
He has been upset with the RJD leadership for not consulting alliance partners while taking important decisions and ignoring his repeated demands for a coordination committee.
While talking to reporters, Jitan Ram Manjhi said that “Our party’s demand for coordination committee has been ignored repeatedly. We have issued a deadline of March 30 for the formation of a coordination committee and if RJD opposes our demand then we will move for the expansion of grand alliance with other likeminded political parties”.
Jitan Ram Manjhi, who is considered a strong Mahadalit leader in Bihar, is the only MLA from his party. He had floated his political party Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) 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 RJD. The grand alliance in Bihar comprises of five political parties – RJD, Congress, HAM, RLSP and VIP.
Mr Manjhi said that he has the support of other alliance partners like the
Congress, Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikasheel Insan Party (VIP). He also criticised the RJD leadership for keeping Left parties especially the Communist Party of India (CPI) out of the alliance.
The Congress, however, did not respond to Jitan Ram Manjhi’s statement but sources said that he has been in touch with grand alliance partners and may take decisions in April. Reports suggest that Mr Manjhi has also been discussing the expansion of grand alliance with Left parties.