Jitan Ram Manjhi warns of exit from Bihar govt; gives '₹1000 cr for constituency' diktat

The trouble within the ruling coalition in Bihar resurfaced on Tuesday as Hindustani Awami Morcha (Secular) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi threatened to withdraw support to the government. After briefly serving as the CM during his stint in JD(U), he founded the HAM(S) in 2015 which won 4 seats in the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls. Addressing a gathering, Manjhi warned of taking a drastic step if Kumar didn't sanction Rs.1000 crore for his constituency. 

HAM(S) president Jitan Ram Manjhi remarked, "I called my son also and the discussion centred around how much work should be done. I told my son Santosh that keep an estimate of Rs.1000 crore ready. If we get the money, the work on hundreds of schemes will start in this coming year and the work will get over in the year thereafter. You will be very happy. I will be very happy." 

"If the honourable CM doesn't give Rs.1000 crore, I will again tell him to give Rs.1000 crore. If you don't give, remember that we are not in the party but the alliance," he added. While Manjhi is one of the 4 HAM(S) MLAs, his son Santosh Suman is an MLC serving as a Minister in the Nitish Kumar-led government.

The political situation in Bihar

The 2020 Bihar Assembly election witnessed a voter turnout of 57.05% as against that of 56.66% in the 2015 polls. The polls turned out to be a nail-biting contest with NDA emerging victorious in 125 seats as against that of 110 seats won by the Mahagatbandhan. BJP, RJD, JD(U), Congress won 74, 75, 43, and 19 seats respectively.

BJP winning more seats than JD(U) for the first time in a Bihar Assembly election led to the speculation that JD(U)'s clout in the alliance will reduce. LJP, who lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and targeted Nitish Kumar throughout the election campaign, is believed to have damaged JD(U)'s prospects in 32 seats despite bagging a solitary seat. While Kumar again took oath as the CM of Bihar, BJP has two Deputy CMs in 4-time MLAs Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi.

After Chirag Paswan was sidelined by BJP which preferred to induct his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras into the Union Cabinet, speculation is rife that RJD has reached out to him. While RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav openly urged Paswan to ally with his party, the LJP president is yet to take a decision regarding the same. Meanwhile, BJP and JD(U) continue to spar on a number of issues such as the caste census.