All seems not well in Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal(U). Some significant developments are taking place in the party which exposed that several Ministers are not happy with Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and the rebellion in the party is growing.
Post Patna High Court’s verdict setting aside the Assembly Speaker’s order unseating four rebel JD(U) MlAs on Tuesday, the sharp differences between the party leadership and CM Manjhi have been exposed. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shrawan Kumar even went to the extent of advising the CM in strongest terms to speak carefully and not utter in irresponsible manner. On Tuesday Manjhi had not only welcomed the court order but also recalled that he did not appreciate the Speaker’s order.
The rebels are upbeat over the court decision restoring their membership of the Assembly and have sharpened their attack on former CM and party’s supreme leader Nitish Kumar. The leader of rebels Gyanendra Singh Gyanu on Wednesday said that they would oppose tooth and nail the proposed merger of the JD(U) with the RJD.
“We will not allow this. If Nitish wants, he can go to the RJD alone and nobody will follow him,” said Gyanu who called on senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and State party president Mangal Pandey on Tuesday sending signal that the rebels may join the BJP.
Modi said, “Since the JD(U) had already expelled the four MlAs from the party and now in the Assembly they will be identified as unattached, the BJP is ready to welcome them in the party.” It is expected that apart from these four MlAs, another set of four MlAs who too had been disqualified by the Assembly Speaker and their case is pending in Patna High Court and some other JD(U) MlAs who are either rebels or fence sitters may join the BJP in presence of the BJP president Amit Shah who is visiting here on January 23. Gyanu and other rebels claimed that over 50 JD(U) MlAs are expected to change the party primarily because of the “autocratic” style of Nitish.
Gyanu alleged that Nitish was lobbying hard to remove Manjhi and reoccupy the office. “If he has power and strength he should try but the majority of the party men will frustrate his move. We support Manjhi and can even manage BJP’s support to him but not allow Nitish to come back,” said Gyanu, till recently a yes man of Nitish.
Minister Shrawan Kumar is not alone in opening front against Manjhi; there are many more Ministers who often refuse to listen to the CM. This was even publicly confessed by Manjhi who created a flutter by saying that his Ministers were not cooperating with him.
"Why should the Ministers toe his line which they see as wrongIJ Manjhi wants that ministers should blindly support him on his unrealistic agenda. He wants to tie the legs and arms of Ministers and throw them in a well," said Kumar mounting vitriolic attack on his CM. He added that party will go in appeal against the single Bench order of High Court in a double Bench.
Other senior Ministers who do not want to be quoted expressed their shock and dismay over the surprising transfer of 20 senior IAS officials heading different departments. Most of them had been appointed as principal secretaries about six months back following recommendations by the Ministers concerned. Suddenly, on Tuesday the CM transferred them and brought other officials without even giving a hint to the Ministers. It is also believed that some of the senior officials transferred had been personally picked by Nitish and gave them specified projects.