Bihar: BJP's Ally Jitan Ram Manjhi Takes U-Turn on Ram Ahead of Lok Sabha Polls

Patna: In a U-turn for the sake of electoral politics aimed at following BJP's agenda, Dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjh, who questioned the very existence of Lord Ram and repeatedly claimed that he was  “kalpnik” (imaginary) is now not only loudly chanting "Jai Shri Ram" these days, but he also visited the newly built Ram temple in Ayodhya on Saturday to offer prayers and seek blessings.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally and former Bihar Chief Minister Manjhi, founder of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) (HAM), has been trying hard to display his new image as a "Ram Bhakt” and is projecting himself as a part of the Hindutva brigade.

The NDA, in its seat-sharing formula that was finalised early this week, has given the Gaya Lok Sabha seat to HAM. Manjhi, who is in his early 80s, all set to contest from this reserved seat, as Gaya is his home district.

Three days ago, Manjhi repeatedly chanted Jai Shri Ram at a Holi Milan function in Gaya, which was the first time he publicly announced his change of heart. This is widely being seen as part of his strategy to send a message to the people of Gaya that he is not anti-Ram, an image he himself had created in recent years by questioning Ram and Ramayana.

None other than Manjhi himself shared on X (social media) on March 23 that he along with his family is on the way to Ayodhya for darshan of Ram Lalla. 

"Ram Lalla darshan ke liye nikal chuka hain,agli mulakat Ayodhya mein hogi.Jai Shri Ram"(I am on my way to seek blessings from Ram Lalla, Will See youb in Ayodhya, Jai Shri Ram)

According to HAM leaders here, Manjhi left Patna for Ayodhya and he will stay there for a day or two to offer prayers before filing his nomination papers after Holi next week.

This is a big change as far as Manjhi’s widely reported stance against Hindutva politics in recent years is anything to go by.

The HAM leader used to directly target BJP’s Hindutva politics based on Ram and Ramayana until last year when he was part of the Mahagathbandhan, which is now part of the Opposition INDIA bloc.

Manjhi, who belongs to the Dalit Musahar community -- one of the most marginalised and backward sections, had reportedly said: “I don’t consider the Ramayana to be a true story. Nor do I think Lord Ram was a great man or a great historical person.”

The saffron party appears to have forgotten Manjhi’s widely reported anti-Hindutva views and joined hands with him as a new ally in Bihar last year. Ironically, earlier several BJP leaders had launched a scathing attack on Manjhi for questioning the existence of Ram.

Earlier, Manjhi has also described the upper castes, a traditional support base of the BJP, as foreigners and descendants of Aryan invaders.

Manjhi’s elder son Santosh Suman, a minister in the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is also president of HAM. Manjhi last month created a buzz in political circles when he repeatedly expressed unhappiness over not being given a second berth in the state cabinet by Kumar.

Political watchers here said that Manjhi is known for walking in and out of one coalition during the last decade. He did not spare Nitish Kumar, who had honoured and respected the father and son (Manjhi and Suman) by appointing the former as the CM in 2014 and the latter as a minister in his cabinet first time in 2020.
 

As per the NDA’s seat-sharing formula, BJP will contest 17 of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, clearly signalling an upper hand over its allies. BJP's major ally Janata Dal-United will contest 16 seats, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) of Chirag Paswan five seats and HAM (Hindustani Awam Morcha) of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLM (Rashtriya Lok Morcha) of former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha one seat each.