Patna: Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is expected to launch a new party. The sources close to him indicated that he was likely to announce this after the mega conference on February 28, where he would also be addressing the backward class and mahadalits.
“The conference is for everyone as Mr Manjhi feels and always talks about overall development, we will expose Nitish Kumar and his party”, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, leader belonging to Manjhi camp, said.
Adding further, he said that with Assembly polls approaching, the former chief minister is fast becoming popular among the dalits of the state as they feel that it was not Manjhi but they were insulted. “They (dalits) are 43 per cent and Nitish Kumar by removing Mr. Manjhi would contest polls without the support of 43 percent voters of Bihar,” he said.
Reacting sharply over the continuous meetings being held in Manjhi camp, JD (U) spokesperson Niraj Kumar said, “They can only weep over the failure and can’t do anything more than that, they are fused bulbs”.
Nitish Kumar after becoming the chief minister of Bihar is already facing dissension in party as several legislators who were expected meatier portfolios were not considered and those who were made ministers didn’t get what they had expected. Transport minister Ramai Ram was retained the same portfolio he was holding in Manjhi cabinet while he was expecting to become the deputy chief minister.
“I have started my work as a transport minister with a heavy heart and I will wait till vote of confidence and then if my demands are not fulfilled I will decide what to do”, Ram, who is a senior dalit leader in JD (U) and a cabinet minister, said.
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar is expected to hold talks with RJD and Congress in order to appease them, the party sources said. Nitish Kumar is to seek vote of confidence on March 11.
The sources in RJD however said that Lalu Yadav may decide to support his government from outside but may want a committee to be formed in order to keep an eye on the functioning of the state government.
“Since we are supporting the government in Bihar, our party chief may suggest formation of a committee which will be headed by our party leaders,” one of the RJD leaders said on Thursday.
