At a time when the former Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, has maintained a studied silence over his successor Jitan Ram Manjhi’s statements and political interactions, State BJP president Mangal Pandey on Sunday said if Mr. Manjhi wished to join the BJP they would consider it. “Mr. Manjhi is doing a good job and if he wishes to come to the BJP, my party will consider it,” Mr. Pandey said while addressing party leaders in Darbhanga. Mr Pandey was in Darbhanga to address party executive committee members and leaders ahead of BJP president Amit Shah’s visit to the State on January 23.
Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi blamed the JD(U) leaders for creating a conflict in their party.
“The BJP has nothing to do with what is happening in the JD(U). It is the ruling party leaders themselves who are responsible for what is happening there,” Mr. Modi said. He said there was a power tussle going on between two camps in the JD(U) one led by Mr. Kumar and Mr. Manjhi. “But because of all this, development of Bihar is getting deplorable.”
With an indisposed Mr. Kumar staying away from party activities, divisions in the the JD(U) have surfaced . While some senior leaders and ministers like Narendra Singh, Brishen Patel and Nitish Mishra defended Mr. Manjhi’s Sadhu Yadav, party spokespersons Ajay Alok and Neeraj Kumar disapproved
“No political party today can afford to ignore Mr. Manjhi’s growing political stature as an unchallenged Dalit leader of the State with 22 per cent of the vote bank behind him,” said Abhay Kumar, a psephologist.
