Patna: HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has decided to extend his party’s support to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who is planning to hold a rally against the CAA, NRC and NPR on December 29 in Muslim-dominated Kishanganj.
AIMIM state unit sources said that “Jitan Ram Manjhi will also be sharing the dais with Asaduddin Owaisi against the CAA and NRC”.
Mr Manjhi’s decision has created a flutter in state politics. Sources claim that Manjhi, who is currently a part of the RJD-Congress-led grand alliance in Bihar is looking for an option to form a third front ahead of the Bihar polls scheduled in October-November 2020.
The decision is also being seen as a major setback for the RJD and Congress as both parties have been trying to expand their voter base in Bihar after the resounding victory in Jharkhand.
However, when asked whether Jitan Ram Manjhi was hinting at forming a new political front in Bihar by holding a joint rally with Mr Owaisi, HAM spokesperson Danish Rizwan said, “In politics, possibilities are always there but this rally has nothing to do with the formation of a third front in Bihar ahead of Assembly elections”.
According to an assessment, the Seemanchal region which comprises Katihar, Purnea and Kishanganj, accounts for more than 40 per cent of the minority population.
Mr Manjhi, who is considered one of the strong Mahadalit leaders in Bihar, has a major stake in the musahar community.
