Manjhi meets Modi, may join hands with BJP to fight Nitish

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 28

Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fuelling speculations that he may join hands with the BJP for the Bihar Assembly elections, due later this year.

Though Manjhi remained evasive about the prospect of his newly formed party, Hindustani Awam Morcha, aligning with the BJP ahead of polls, he seemed conducive about such an arrangement after the elections.

Manjhi said he would like to be part of a formation that did not include Nitish Kumar — his mentor and incumbent CM with whom his relationship hit the nadir when he was unceremoniously dumped by the JD-U to wrest the top post from him.

“If there is a need to ally with any party following the election, I will go with a formation which does not include Nitish,” he told mediapersons after his meeting with the PM.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad had recently proposed that Manjhi be included in the “alliance against BJP”, a suggestion which did not go down well with Nitish. Sources say by meeting the BJP top brass, Manjhi may be aiming at sending a message to his voters back home, who are “confused” over Lalu’s recent overtures to him.