Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked people to take a lesson from the story of Chanakya and Chandragupta and said both always had deep respect for each other. The reference was made on Monday while inaugurating the ‘Sabhyata Dwar’ (Gateway of Civilization) on the premises of newly built Samrat Ashok Convention Centre here.
Nitish made the reference to the Mauryan king Chandragupta (321-298 BCE) who had been chosen for the throne by Chanakya while saying that despite being made emperor Chandragupta
never uttered a single word against his mentor Chanakya. ‘But whosoever I projected started damaging me,’ he commented.
The CM’s reference was obviously Jitan Ram Manjhi whom he chose to make CM in 2014 when Nitish decided to step down post general election that paved way for the elevation of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. In political circle Nitish is also known as Chanakya.
Gradually Manjhi, who later floated his party Hindustani Awam Morcha, turned against Nitish and left no opportunity to attack him before being ejected from the chair and Nitish returning back to the office after a gap of nine months.
In his capacity as Chief Minister Manjhi was dead against the construction of the Samrat Ashok Convention Centre as well as the Bihar Museum calling it extravaganza and unnecessary expenditure and accusing the bureaucrats of eating cuts and commissions in the preparation of DPR and construction. He, time and again, publicly opposed the dream projects of Nitish.
Nitish, though did not say who he was referring to in context of Chanakya and Chandragupta but those knowing him knew well it was unmistakably Manjhi who he had handpicked to make CM.
Manjhi started attacking Nitish and the later was so angry and hurt that he made it a point to remove him with the support of RJD chief lalu Prasad and Congress, the two parties Nitish engaged for grand coalition prior to 2015 Assembly election.
Manjhi is not the only person being projected by Nitish but turning hostile. Recently Uday Narayan Choudhary, the former Assembly Speaker, left JD(U) after opening front against Nitish. Choudhary, who also served as State president of RJD, was made Speaker in 2005 and was also retained for the same post in 2010 which earned him a distinction of being the only person holding the chair for two consecutive terms.
Earlier Upendra Kushwaha joined and ditched Nitish twice. Even after first ditch the CM send him to Rajya Sabha. Earlier he was made secretary general of JD(U) and also leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly.
Kushwaha later floated his Rashtriya lok Samata Party and serving as junior Minister at the Centre.
Rajiv Ranjan Singh lalan, a close confident of Nitish for long time, also ditched the JD(U) president before 2009 lok Sabha polls and joined Congress. In that election he spew venom against Nitish during electioneering. lalan, who also served as State president of JD(U), came back to Nitish fold in 2012 and now an important Minister in Bihar.
Once Nitish said that he was unlucky in sense of projecting and pushing the partymen as they ditched him as per their convenience.
‘You can say I don’t know the art of reading the mind of people,’ he said.