Bihar: Jitan Ram Manjhi's Ham Announces Withdrawal Of Support To Nitish Govt

The HAM with four MLAs had joined the 'Mahagathbandhan' last year, in solidarity with Nitish Kumar's move of dumping the BJP which was accused of trying to break the JD(U).

In the 243-strong assembly, the ruling coalition has close to 160 MLAs.

Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) on Monday withdrew its support to the Nitish Kumar government in the state and a letter to the effect was handed over to Governor Rajendra Arlekar. Manjhi, who met the governor along with his son Santosh Suman, the national president of HAM, also said he will be in Delhi for the next few days during which he will try to meet leaders of the NDA, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, to explore future options.

Scores of HAM supporters stood outside the Raj Bhavan, raising slogans against Nitish Kumar for the period during which Manjhi, Suman and MLAs of the party stayed inside. The party has four MLAs, including Manjhi, while Suman, who resigned from the state cabinet a week ago alleging pressure from Nitish Kumar's JD(U) to merge HAM, is a member of the legislative council.

The ruling Mahagathbandhan, which comprises JD(U), RJD, Congress and three Left parties, is nearly 160 MLAs strong, well past the majority mark of 122 in the assembly where the total number of members is 243. After coming out from the Raj Bhavan, Manjhi told reporters ?Tonight I will go to Delhi where I will spend the next two-three days. I will be accompanied by Suman. I have to undergo a few medical tests. We will also try to meet political leaders to discuss the new scenario."

The former CM, whose meeting with Amit Shah in April this year is being seen as the proverbial straw in the wind, also said, ?I will seek an appointment with the Union home minister. I may also try to get in touch with other NDA leaders." Earlier, at a meeting of the party's ?national executive?, Suman was ?authorised? to take all decisions on behalf of the party.

He announced the decision to withdraw support to the 'Mahagathbandhan; government in the state. Notably, the JD(U) has admitted that it wanted HAM to merge. Its national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh ?Lalan? ended up likening the eight years old party to a 'tiny shop' which has evoked strong reactions from HAM workers.

The Bihar chief minister, who is the JD(U)'s supreme leader, had said that he suspected Manjhi of 'spying' on Mahagathbandhan leaders at the behest of the BJP. Kumar had defended keeping Manjhi out of the June 23 opposition meeting with the claim that "he would have leaked everything to the BJP". Manjhi and Suman have maintained that though they were not averse to returning to the NDA, they were also exploring 'other possibilities', including a 'third front'.

When Manjhi was asked by journalists outside the Raj Bhavan whether he would be meeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as well, he said "I will try to meet him. I will also try to meet (BSP supremo) Mayawati". In his late 70s, Manjhi enjoyed a less-than-a-year-long tenure as the chief minister when Nitish Kumar stepped down in 2014, owning moral responsibility for the JD(U)'s drubbing in Lok Sabha polls.

Manjhi's eight months in power were mired in controversies and he had to eventually step down, making way for the return of the JD(U) supremo. He subsequently quit the party and floated the HAM. The party is yet to taste significant electoral success and has changed alliances almost every two years.