Bihar cabinet: Jitan Ram Manjhi wants another berth in cabinet expansion

Patna: Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday demanded a greater share for his Hindustani Awam Morcha in the state’s newly formed cabinet headed by JD(U) president Nitish Kumar.

Manjhi, whose son Santosh Suman was sworn in as a minister upon the formation of an NDA government in the state on Sunday, said he wanted another cabinet berth, “for an upper caste candidate”.

“Before the formation of the NDA government the state, I had told Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai that HAM wants two cabinet berths. We have had one minister from the Scheduled Castes. Now we want one upper caste leader from our party to be accommodated,” Manjhi told reporters here.

HAM sources said Manjhi, the party founder, was pitching for Anil Kumar, a Bhumihar politician who represents the Tekari assembly seat and is currently a national vice president of the party which has a total of four MLAs.

Manjhi, who had followed Nitish Kumar in walking out of the NDA in 2022, but had returned to the BJP-led formation six months ago, said he expected the saffron party to support him in pressing the demand.

“After all, even an Independent has got a ministerial berth”, said Manjhi, without mentioning by name Sumit Kumar Singh, who belongs to an influential Rajput family.

He said he has spoken to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and hopes that his demand will be taken care of when the cabinet expansion takes place.

The former chief minister said if the demand is ignored, it will be an injustice.

“Leaders of the Mahagathbandhan (Congress, RJD and Left combine) had tried to entice us, in conversations with members of my family, by offering to make me the chief minister. But we resisted the temptation and remained loyal to the NDA. Our demand is also rooted in social dynamics of the Magadh region to which I belong,” he said.