<p>It’s now official. Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi will join the NDA on September 3, a week after the ex-chief minister met the Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar.</p>.<p>Manjhi, who rocked the Grand Alliance boat last month, has, of late, been showering praise on Nitish, giving credence to the theory that the Mahadalit leader may eventually join hands with his mentor.</p>.<p>Manjhi’s pocket organisation Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) will, in the meantime, not merge with the JD (U) but is likely to become the fourth NDA ally in Bihar after the JD (U), BJP and the LJP. Though Manjhi has sought 15 Assembly seats (out of 243 constituencies in Bihar), NDA sources say he may settle for eight or nine seats, including his own constituency Imamganj in Gaya.</p>.<p>A former protege of Nitish, Manjhi was hand-picked by the JD(U) strongman and made Bihar chief minister in May 2014 after Nitish was routed in the Lok Sabha election. Bruised and battered after JD (U) won merely two Lok Sabha seats, Nitish took the defeat personally and quit as Bihar chief minister in the wake of his much-publicised cut-throat rivalry with Narendra Modi then.</p>.<p>However, within ten months of anointing the Mahadalit leader Manjhi as Bihar CM, Nitish took over the reins of Bihar. Manjhi, who, by then, grew strong, was eventually shown the door by the JD (U) in 2015.</p>.<p>Five years down the line, Manjhi needs Nitish as much as the latter needs his protege. Of late, Nitish is perturbed over the constant attack unleashed by an over-ambitious LJP chief Chirag Paswan. Son of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Chirag has been targeting Nitish on the issue of “poor law and order, migrants’ issue and equally poor handling of Covid-19 situation.”</p>.<p>Rattled over the attack by an ally (Paswan), Nitish deemed it fit to rope in another Mahadalit leader (Manjhi) who could counter the growing influence of the LJP chief.</p>.<p>“Mahadalits in Bihar are numerically strong. Together they comprise around 16% of the electorate. But this includes 6% Paswans too. Manjhi’s influence is in Magadh region comprising Gaya and Aurangabad. Even if Manjhi commands 6% votes, a minor shift in the vote base could tilt the balance,” explained a senior Mahagatbandhan leader, who earlier worked closely with Manjhi.</p>
<p>It’s now official. Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi will join the NDA on September 3, a week after the ex-chief minister met the Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar.</p>.<p>Manjhi, who rocked the Grand Alliance boat last month, has, of late, been showering praise on Nitish, giving credence to the theory that the Mahadalit leader may eventually join hands with his mentor.</p>.<p>Manjhi’s pocket organisation Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) will, in the meantime, not merge with the JD (U) but is likely to become the fourth NDA ally in Bihar after the JD (U), BJP and the LJP. Though Manjhi has sought 15 Assembly seats (out of 243 constituencies in Bihar), NDA sources say he may settle for eight or nine seats, including his own constituency Imamganj in Gaya.</p>.<p>A former protege of Nitish, Manjhi was hand-picked by the JD(U) strongman and made Bihar chief minister in May 2014 after Nitish was routed in the Lok Sabha election. Bruised and battered after JD (U) won merely two Lok Sabha seats, Nitish took the defeat personally and quit as Bihar chief minister in the wake of his much-publicised cut-throat rivalry with Narendra Modi then.</p>.<p>However, within ten months of anointing the Mahadalit leader Manjhi as Bihar CM, Nitish took over the reins of Bihar. Manjhi, who, by then, grew strong, was eventually shown the door by the JD (U) in 2015.</p>.<p>Five years down the line, Manjhi needs Nitish as much as the latter needs his protege. Of late, Nitish is perturbed over the constant attack unleashed by an over-ambitious LJP chief Chirag Paswan. Son of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Chirag has been targeting Nitish on the issue of “poor law and order, migrants’ issue and equally poor handling of Covid-19 situation.”</p>.<p>Rattled over the attack by an ally (Paswan), Nitish deemed it fit to rope in another Mahadalit leader (Manjhi) who could counter the growing influence of the LJP chief.</p>.<p>“Mahadalits in Bihar are numerically strong. Together they comprise around 16% of the electorate. But this includes 6% Paswans too. Manjhi’s influence is in Magadh region comprising Gaya and Aurangabad. Even if Manjhi commands 6% votes, a minor shift in the vote base could tilt the balance,” explained a senior Mahagatbandhan leader, who earlier worked closely with Manjhi.</p>
