After his acrimonious divorce with the Janata Dal (U) and looking all set to lose the crown of Chief Minister on February 20, Jitan Ram Manjhi is in no hurry to court any new political partner. A party-hopper, who started his political innings with the Congress in the 1970s, Manjhi is reluctant to readily join the BJP, which is ready to embrace him with open arms. Instead, Manjhi is likely to float a regional outfit and ally with the BJP on his own terms ahead of the Assembly polls.
The regional outfit will give Manjhi the chance to consolidate his status as a powerful Mahadalit icon and keep him in the media glare. Sources said that after what looks like his inevitable ouster as Chief Minister on Friday, Manjhi will take to the streets in the proverbial sack cloth and ashes of “martyrdom” and go around stoking the passions of Dalits.
The Dalits are already enraged over what they perceive as humiliation of their new-found leader. Their sense of hurt is so acute that hundreds of them attacked the office of the JD(U) in Patna recently to assert they were not ready to be treated as serfs anymore in the new social and political order of Bihar.
Sources said that for the next few months, as head of his regional outfit, Manjhi will go all out to woo the Dalits who aggressively voted for JD(U) in the last Assembly polls. The JD(U) boasts of around 16-18 Dalit MlAs, but its prospects would be badly hit if Manjhi indeed emerges as the pied piper not only for rat catchers (his caste men) but the entire Dalit community.
Besides, galvanizing the Dalits, who comprise 14 per cent of the vote bank, Manjhi could also become a magnet for all sorts of elements who will not be directly acceptable to the BJP. For example, controversial leaders like Pappu Yadav and Sadhu Yadav, who accompany Manjhi at all times, and former JD(U) MP Sabir Ali, who made an unceremonious exit from the BJP within hours of joining the saffron outfit, may join hands with Manjhi to take on Nitish Kumar.
Political experts feel that despite his unimpressive track record and questionable integrity as Chief Minister, the Manjhi factor could play an important role in deciding the fate of the battle for Bihar six months from now. However, it will have to be seen how an astute politician like Nitish Kumar acts to heal the hurt Dalit sentiments once he gets into the saddle, possibly next week.
Sources in the JD(U) said that Nitish may take a series of pro-Dalit measures and project someone from his own party as the Mahadalit face to counter Manjhi’s game plan. A source said though the Nitish camp stands united as of now, Manjhi is trying his best to woo some JD(U) legislators with offers of ministerial berths. Manjhi’s trouble shooters are also in touch with RJD MlAs.
But few are ready to cross the floor so far, fearing disqualification. Sources said that a Minister in the Manjhi camp is drafting an emotional speech, which Manjhi will deliver on the floor of the House on Friday before marching down to Raj Bhawan, submitting his resignation to Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi, and starting a new innings as a Dalit icon.
BJP MlAs to back trust vote
New Delhi BJP MlAs were on Wednesday unanimous in extending support to Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi during the floor test on February 20 though the saffron party is likely to take a formal decision on the matter on Thursday.