Manjhi’s popularity on test in second phase of Bihar elections

Patna: Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi faces an acid test in the second phase of poll campaigning.

A total of 32 assembly seats spread over six districts of Bihar, all identified as areas severely affected by Maoist activities, go to the polls in the second phase of voting scheduled for October 16.

The election will decide the “acceptability” of Manjhi among the vast Mahadalit community comprising 22 different castes — described as the poorest of the poor among the Dalit class.

Before Manjhi’s emergence, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan was enjoying that status but now the position has been “hijacked” by the former.

That Manjhi is a factor in this election is underlined by the fact that not only Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership went all out to get him somehow on the board but even Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not forget to specially mention his name at every election rally he addressed in Bihar.

It is the first time that the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), which Manjhi floated soon after his revolt against chief minister Nitish Kumar, is joining the poll fray and it remains to be seen how much it will impact state politics.

HAM is one of the three key coalition partners of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance which is locked in a tough contest with the Grand Secular Alliance headed by Kumar.

The prime reason why this phase has suddenly become important is the fact that seven of the total 32 seats going to polls on Sunday are being contested by the HAM which is making electoral debut this time.

Manjhi himself is contesting from two seats while his son Santosh Kumar Suman is trying his luck from one seat.

Although Manjhi is also contesting from upper caste-dominated Makhdumpur seat in neighbouring Jehanabad district, winning the Imamganj seat remains more important for him. For it will be a sweet revenge against his enemy Number 2 Uday Narayan Chaudhary who in the capacity of Bihar assembly Speaker had denied him seat in the state assembly and also disqualified his lawmakers ahead of the crucial trial of strength in the House in February this year. Apparently, it was long-running political feud with Chaudhary that forced him to also contest elections from Dalits-dominated Imamganj though the former never lost the seat in the past 15 years.

“I am here to slay the demon,” says Manjhi, indirectly referring to Speaker Chaudhary who has been constantly representing Imamaganj seat for past four terms since 2000. Manjhi has accused Chaudhary of acting as an agent of the Bihar chief minister.

The prestige of Manjhi further remains at stake in Kutumba seat since it is from here that his son is making an electoral debut.

A victory from these seats would strengthen Manjhi’s position in the NDA whereas defeats would leave him nowhere.

The Mahadalits have traditionally been divided among many castes and sub-castes but they all rallied round Manjhi after he was unceremoniously removed as Bihar chief minister by the ruling JD-U leadership after a bitter power struggle between him and Kumar earlier this year. Manjhi also tried to prove he was the real well wisher of their fellow community by announcing variety of for the Dalit class. It’s to be seen now how the Dalits respond to Manjhi’s appeals in this poll.

However, it’s not only Manjhi’s own prestige but the fate of BJP too is stake in this elections. If Manjhi is able to get the significant support of the powerful dalit class roughly accounting for some 22-23 per cent of the total population, the NDA will emerge as the clear winner in this poll. So, Manjhi is required to perform to prove his significance.