Taking sadistic pleasure in exchange of caustic remarks between top leaders of the JD(U) and RJD over the alliance in the coming Assembly election, former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said he knew that Nitish Kumar and lalu Prasad would never succeed in merger or alliance because both are gripped by high inflated ego. But Mnjhi, who was deposed by Nitish in February, suggested a formula for alliance.
“lalu has a sizeable vote bank. But since he is convicted he cannot contest election and hold any Government post. It will be a better option for the RJD chief to accept my leadership and project me as CM probable in the Assembly election,” said Manjhi who had been made Chief Minister by Nitish on May 20 last year after the humiliating defeat of JD(U) in the general election. He served for nine months before being deposed on February 20 after he refused to resign in favour of Nitish.
Manjhi, who has floated a political party Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and declared to contest all the 243 seats, said he could even compromise and join the company of Nitish provided the latter accept him as leader.
“If Nitish steps down and JD(U) agrees to project me as CM candidate I am ready to mend fences with Nitish,” said Manjhi who has already declared Nitish as his enemy number one. He also favoured RJD vice president Raghubansh Prasad Singh’s claim over 145 seats on the basis of performance in the 2014 lok Sabha polls.
The BJP is also happy over the growing differences between the two Janata Parivar constituents. BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain said the so-called honeymoon between lalu and Nitish was over. “They had planned wedding but their engagement is broken,” he quipped. Union Ministers Radha Mohan Singh and Upendra Kushwaha said there would be no impact of their merger of alliance.
Meanwhile, the JD(U) and RJD are yet to reach an understanding on the election to 24 seats of legislative Council which are going to vote in mid July. Bihar RJD president Ram Chandra Purbe said his party has a bigger vote base and no such move would be made that might dash the hopes of party cadres. “The seat sharing should be made on equal basis,” he said. His JD(U) counterpart Bashistha Narain Singh insisted that understanding could be made on mutual trust.