After striking a hard bargain with the BJP and getting the best deal among the allies, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is becoming more unpredictable by the day. While top leaders of major parties have decided not to contest the polls and focus on the electioneering, Manjhi wants to contest — and that also from two seats.
“Manjhi has made up his mind to contest. We would have liked him to avoid getting into the fray and focus on campaigning,” said an NDA leader.
A veteran Mahadalit leader who started his political journey as a Congressman in 1980, Mahjhi enjoys the dubious reputation of being an opportunistic party hopper. He represents Makdumpur seat from the Naxalite-belt of Jehanabad in the State Assembly. However, now he wants to contest from Imamganj in Gaya against outgoing Assembly speaker Udai Narain Choudhary of the JD(U).
It is not clear if the BJP will leave that seat for Manjhi since most leader of the party feel that no candidate of the NDA should contest from two places. “It’s going to be close race, and we would not like to waste a seat by having one man contest from two places,” said a BJP leader.
Several leaders in the Manjhi camp also share this view. A senior leader of his party told The Pioneer that his decision to contest from two places will send a wrong signal and give a chance to his detractors to claim that when Manjhi himself was not sure of retaining his eat, how could he mobilise support for his nominees and NDA candidates.
Manjhi has mostly contested from one or other constituency in Gaya during the last 35 years. Sources said Manjhi feels that with around 60,000 vote of his caste men present at Imamganj, he has better chances of returning to the Assembly.
Manjhi faces a tough challenge to remain relevant in Bihar politics where for the first time he has come out of the shadow of upper castes and OBC satraps and is trying to assert the clout of the Mahadalit voters. It is a different matter that Manjhi’s newly-floated outfit is dominated by upper caste and OBC leaders.
Sources said that Manhji initially wanted to field his son from the Imamganj constituency but after receiving adverse feedback, he has decided to take the plunge himself. “We hope and pray that the central leadership will not concede the Imamganj seat to his Hindustiani Awam Morcha,” said a Bihar BJP leader.
Majnhi is known for practicing crass opportunistic policy. Jumping from one party to another he served under seven Chief Minister --- Chandrashekhar Singh, Bindeshwari Dubey, Satyendra Narayan Sinha, Jagannath Mishra, laloo Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi - during the last 35 years.
BJP also hopes that Manjhi will give tickets to majority of Mahadalit candidates instead of upper caste and OBC leaders. “If Manjhi does not accommodate these sections of candidates, we will be under pressure to give them tickets. This will narrow down out options,” said a BJP leader.
The BJP is also worried about the differences between Manjhi and Paswan that could come in the way the NDA’s attempt to consolidate the Dalit and Mahadalit votes. “If they played the game of one-up-manship, we are headed for trouble. As it is dalits and Mahadalits have sharp social division, and if these leaders continue to take potshots each other, we could pay heavy price,” said a BJP leader.
Paswan is facing rebellion within the lJP his party because he party men have accused him of accepting lesser seats in comparison to both Manjhi and Rashtriya loktantrik Samata Party.
Whether or not Manjhi delivers for the BJP the expected benefit in the poll, but he is bound to give more than enough hiccups to the party and allies both.