Tough call for Manjhi

Patna: Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is feeling isolated as he threatens to quit the NDA.

Manjhi, who has long felt sidelined in the NDA, has declared that his party, Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular (HAMS), would chalk out its independent course after April 8 when his party will hold a rally on Gandhi Maidan.

But Manjhi’s announcement has evoked a lukewarm response from the RJD. “Manjh ji says something in the morning and something else in the evening. One has to support one of the two ideologies. Either one is with the party of Nathuram Godse or against it. One cannot stay on both sides,” said Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.

Manjhi is putting up a brave face, declaring that his party does not depend on any other party for existence. He has said though he is not adverse to any political party, he was capable of going it alone in the next Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. “If the NDA does not give us the Jehanabad seat, it will have to face consequences. We will contest the seat at all costs,” said HAMS spokesperson Danish Rizwan.

Incidentally, Manjhi’s patience appears to have worn thin a few days ago, as he declared that he will side with the political alliance which implements the 36 decisions, which included several welfare schemes for Dalits, his government took.

BJP leaders are wary about Manjhi’s threat. “We relied on Manjhi to deliver the Dalit votes to us in the Assembly polls. He failed. He failed to retain his Makhdumpur Assembly seat in Jehanabad,” said a senior BJP leader, stressing that the party would like to see Manjhi exit on his own.

Courtesy: The Telegraph