Bihar polls: Open to options if NDA offer not respectable: Jitan Ram Manjhi

BJP called it 'old pressure tactics' used to bargain at the time of election.

Jitan Ram Manjhi

NDA ally and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday sought a “respectable” offer from the BJP in terms of seat sharing for the upcoming assembly polls and indicated that if he was not made such an offer, he could enter an alliance with rebel RJD MLA Pappu Yadav’s Jan Adhikar Party. The statement comes at a time when a good show in the Legislative Council polls has emboldened the BJP .

Addressing a join press conference with Yadav, Manjhi, who has been demanding at least 40 seats, said: “Everyone has a right to respect. If I do not get a respectable offer from NDA, I will have my options open”.

Yadav, on his part, said the NDA should project Manjhi as CM candidate.

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BJP, however, called it “old pressure tactics” used to bargain at the time of election. The party’s state president Mangal Pandey played it down, saying every NDA constituent knew his roles and responsibilities.

Speaking at the press meet, Pappu Yadav said Manjhi could be the right choice for NDA’s CM candidate with his high credentials as a Dalit leader who tried to start a host of new schemes during his tenure as CM.

“Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar have misplaced their sense of social justice. Manjhi has carried forward the legacy of social justice. If NDA can choose Nitish Kumar as its leader, what is problem in projecting Manjhi?” asked Pappu, whose desperate attempts to forge an alliance with NDA have not been entertained. On the other hand, Manjhi’s clamour for being projected as the CM nominee comes after another NDA partner RLSP demanded the position for its leader Upendra Kushwaha.

Santosh Singh

Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. ... Read More

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