JD-U may sack Jitan Ram Manjhi as Bihar chief minister Speculation is rife in Bihars political circles over the possible ouster of Jitan Ram Manjhi as the state chief minister after the controversial Janata Dal-United leader said that his days in the office are numbered. Manjhi, who belongs to the economically backward Mahadalit community, on Sunday said, I know efforts are on to remove me, I may or may not continue till November end. His detractors in his party were making every effort to remove him from the chief ministers post. Hours after Manjhis comment on Sunday, former chief minister Nitish Kumar and Janata Dal-United president Sharad Yadav discussed for nearly two hours about the political heat generated by Manjhis controversial remarks in the past few days. Nitish Kumar, however, refused to comment on Monday on Manjhis likely removal. I will speak about it only after my ongoing Sampark Yatra concludes on November 29, Nitish Kumar told the media. According to JD-U leaders close to Yadav, some Bihar ministers, considered loyal to Nitish Kumar, have complained to him about Manjhis controversial remarks and demanded his ouster. A powerful group of JD-U leaders has been lobbying to remove Manjhi and reinstate Nitish Kumar as the chief minister. A decision might be taken by the end of this month, a JD-U leader said. However, some JD-U leaders close to Nitish Kumar said he was not keen to become the chief minister by replacing Manjhi. Manjhi sparked a controversy within the JD-U when he said he would become a supporter of Narendra Modi if the prime minister granted special category status to Bihar. Besides, Manjhi had also said he could become the prime minister one day. The Bihar chief ministers another recent remark that the upper caste people were foreigners and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes people were indigenous also got him in trouble as several party legislators belonging to the upper castes demanded his removal. The JD-U leadership has warned Manjhi over the such remarks, but he said he would continue to speak as usual. I am not going to bow before anyone and would continue to speak as usual to express my views before the people, he said. Without naming anyone, Manjhi said he was more knowledgeable than those advising him not to speak. I am simply trying to communicate with the people in their language. There is nothing unusual in it, he said.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 11:44:16 +0000
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