Jitan Ram Manjhi

Hindustani Awam Morcha

DOB 06 Oct 1944

Age 81 years

profession Politician

Jitan Ram Manjhi biography

Hours after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi in February 2024, former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi declared support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the ruling BJP.

In May 2014, Jitan Ram Manjhi had been Nitish Kumar’s surprise choice for chief minister of Bihar — a choice dictated both by the 70-year-old’s surname and the fact that he kept a low profile and was expected to keep the seat warm for the JD(U) leader who had resigned in a huff after a massive defeat in the Lok Sabha elections that year. It marked a big moment for Manjhi’s Mushahar community, among the lowest of the low in the caste hierarchy and around 2% of the state’s voters. It was also only the third time that a Scheduled Caste leader had become the CM of Bihar, despite the caste churning that rose from its fertile politics. The others were Bhola Paswan Shastri and Ram Sunder Das.

Manjhi contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under the NDA alliance banner and was able to register a win by just over 1 lakh votes. He currently holds Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Modi-3 cabinet.

Born in the small village of Mahkar in Khijrasarai of Gaya, Manjhi got into politics early, with his brother, who was in the Bihar Police, supporting him financially. He became an MLA from the Congress in 1980 and a minister in 1985. When the Congress’s fortunes declined with the rise of Lalu Prasad, he joined the Janata Dal and later the RJD. In 2015, Manjhi became a minister in the Nitish Kumar government, but remained unnoticed till the JD(U) supremo sprang that surprise.

Jitan Ram Manjhi personal life

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JITAN RAM MANJHI NEWS

Bihar's Chief Ministers | From Nitish’s proxy to key player – the many faces of Jitan Ram Manjhi

November 13, 2025 4:54 pm

Bihar politics, Jitan Manjhi political journey: In May 2014, after his party’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls, Nitish Kumar made a risky gambit — he named his close aide Jitan Ram Manjhi as his successor. The move catapulted Manjhi, a little-known leader until then, into the national political spotlight.

'It is monsoon time': Union Minister Manjhi blames rain for 10 bridges collapse in Bihar

July 05, 2024 6:48 pm

16 engineers were suspended by the Bihar government in relation with the case on Friday.

Nitish Kumar hits back at former Bihar CM Manjhi for doubting caste survey

November 09, 2023 7:29 pm

BJP rallies behind Manjhi, calls it ‘insult of Dalits’

Looking for a new U-turn to BJP, Jitan Ram Manjhi gets set for another flip-flop on Nitish Kumar

June 16, 2023 9:50 am

Soon after the resignation of HAM(S) founder’s son Santosh Suman as a minister, JD(U) and RJD declare that the former is no longer a Mahagathbandhan ally.

Nitish Kumar told me to 'merge or get out': Jitan Ram Manjhi

June 14, 2023 8:04 pm

The ex-CM claimed that when Kumar persisted with the talk of a merger, he said it was not possible, only to be brusquely told that "then you better get out".

santosh kumar suman, hindustani awam morcha

'Existence of party under threat': HAM chief Santosh Kumar Suman offers to resign as Bihar minister

June 13, 2023 1:25 pm

Jitan Ram Manjhi had announced Santosh as the president of HAM last year in April.

Jitan Manjhi on way back to BJP? Meeting with Amit Shah adds fuel to fire

April 14, 2023 11:34 am

Ex-CM denies this, hails Opposition unity bid and Nitish as "PM material". But BJP known to have its eye on the HAMS leader who has been feeling constrained in the Mahagathbandhan

Manjhi seeks ‘Gujarat liquor permit’ model in Bihar to prevent hooch deaths, Nitish Kumar disagrees

January 02, 2023 7:23 am

Endorsing Manjhi’s suggestion, the Bihar BJP sought a pro-people change in the state’s liquor policy. However, the Congress – which is part of the ruling coalition – said there was no question of relaxing the liquor law.

BJP Muslim outreach raises rivals' hackles as Pasmanda politics hots up in Bihar

November 30, 2022 10:40 am

Ex-CM Jitan Ram Manjhi asks BJP if it would project a Muslim face as CM candidate for 2025 Bihar polls

'Dharm ke thekedaar': Ex-Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi hits out over dignity of Dalits

September 23, 2021 9:27 pm

Manjhi, whose Hindustani Awam Morcha is a part of the ruling alliance in the state, expressed anguish on Twitter, sharing a heart-wrenching news report of a Dalit couple in Karnataka being penalised after their two-year-old child inadvertently stepped into a temple.

JITAN RAM MANJHI PHOTOS

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BJP finalises seat-sharing deal with allies for Bihar polls

September 14, 2015 5:56 pm

Following days of hard bargain, BJP on Monday (September 14) sealed a seat sharing pact for the Bihar assembly polls with its allies under which it will contest 160 of the 243 seats, while sparing 20 for Mahadalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM(S), besides 40 for Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP.