Former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi announced on Wednesday that he would launch his political party within a fortnight. "I will announce my party before May 10. My party will contest all the 243 Assembly seats in the coming election," Manjhi announced at Forbesganj in Araria district during his tour of the cyclone-hit districts.
Manjhi's announcement came in the wake of the reports that the Janata Parivar parties including JD(U) and RJD have delayed their talks on the finalisation of the merger talks on name of the new party and its symbol and flag. The talks were scheduled on Tuesday in Delhi but the top leaders of both parties including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief lalu Prasad deferred the negotiations owing to earthquake in Bihar and ongoing relief and rescue works.
The former CM announced, "We are not going for a pre-poll alliance with any party. But after the election we are open to post-poll alliance with any party, including the BJP." Manjhi however, reiterated that he would not have any truck with any party or alliance which has Nitish Kumar associated with it.
By announcing not to go for pre-poll alliance, the Mahadalit leader has attempted to keep all the parties in Bihar on tenterhooks. While the Manjhi supporters believe that the party would garner maximum of Dalit votes and emerge as a political force to reckon with in the caste-conscious State like Bihar, the JD(U) feels that by making such declaration, Manjhi was trying to bargain hard with other parties particularly the BJP.
"Manjhi is trying hard for a bargain with the BJP for a pre-poll alliance but the saffron party has advised the former CM to contest alone while pinning hopes on the fact that it would somehow inflict more damage to the JD(U)-RJD alliance," said JD(U) spokesman Sanjay Singh. But, he added, Manjhi has no potential to emerge as a factor in the Assembly election because he has lost his credibility even among his own caste people. He recalled that wide corruption during the Manjhi regime when allegedly his close relatives were ruling the roost and Manjhi himself was caught favouring his kin and delivering lip service to others.
