As reports are doing the rounds that Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi might have to step down with orders from the Janata Dal (United) leadership, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that there is an attempt to remove Manjhi from office.
In a direct attack on the JD(U) leadership, BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao said it seems that there is an attempt to remove Manjhi from CM’s chair.
Rao opined that the removal of a Dalit leader could earn JD(U) the wrath of the community and the ruling party might be viewed as anti-Dalit outfit.
The Bihar CM has called for a legislature party meeting on February 20. Notably, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav has called a similar meet on Saturday (Feb 07).
Amid speculation of pressure being mounted on Manjhi to quit and make way for Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) president held a closed-door meeting with Manjhi Wednesday night, JD(U) sources said.
The sources suggested the change could come into effect after the Delhi polls and at the start of Bihar Assembly Budget Session on February 20.
The development came amid speculation over the return of Nitish Kumar as the chief minister.
Sources, however, added that Manjhi has refused to oblige, instead asking the party leadership to sack him.
While a majority of JD(U) MLAs are believed to be in favour of Nitish replacing Manjhi as the Bihar chief minister, still there is a section within the party which favours the current CM continuing in post till Assembly polls later this year.
Earlier this month, displaying bonhomie, Manjhi and Union Minister Uma Bharti mutually praised each other.
“Manjhi, who hails from a poor family, understands the pain of poor and he is a garibo ka messiah (poor peoples’ apostle) in true sense,” Bharti said after a meeting on flood problem in Bihar.
–PTI