Manjhi turns down Lalu’s offer for Janata Parivar

‘Will press EC for right to use JD(U) name and symbol’ (PTI photo)

A day after RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said “there will be place” for former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi in the Janata Parivar merger, Manjhi on Thursday made it clear that he would not go to a party which already had Nitish Kumar.

Speaking at Sasaram, Manjhi reiterated that he would rather press for the Janata Dal(U) name and its arrow symbol to stay with him after the Janta merger. He said: “Now that the Janta Parivar merger is taking place, I will request Election Commission to allow JD(U) and its arrow symbol to stay with me. I have only floated a political front – Hindustani Awam Morcha – and it is not a political party yet.” Though Manjhi did not directly respond to Lalu’s overtures to join the Janata merger, he said: “I cannot work with Nitish Kumar — a man who insulted me.”

Manjhi also ducked questions of a possible alliance with the BJP and said his party would think about it after the elections. He further downplayed speculation that nine legislators — including the eight suspended JD(U) MLAs — were planning to cross over to the BJP. Both the RJD and the BJP had been trying to woo Manjhi for a merger to minimise possible damage Manjhi can incur to the two parties.

JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi, however, told The Indian Express, “Manjhi has no right to ask for the JD(U) name and symbol. We will also write to the Election Commission to disallow it… When Manjhi met PM Narendra Modi, he decided on his future course of action. He is just misguiding all by saying that he will contest alone.”

Source:: Indian Express