Nitish Kumar ally quits as minister, alleges pressure to merge HAM with JD(U)

Santosh Suman resigned from the Bihar government on July 13, citing "pressure" to unite his Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U). 

Suman, who formerly held the SC and ST welfare position, is the national president of HAM, which was established by his father, former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. 

"I have sent my resignation to the chief minister and personally met Vijay Kumar Chaudhary (senior JD(U) leader and minister) to explain my point. I hope my resignation will be accepted. We are, though, not pulling out of the Mahagathbandhan," Suman told reporters. He pointed out that his father, who then headed the party, had decided to quit the NDA last year and join the Mahagathbandhan because of his loyalty towards the chief minister. 

"It is for the CM to decide whether we be kept in the Mahagathbandhan or expelled. We will decide accordingly. But in view of the JD(U)'s proposal, I had to take a decision to save my party from extinction. Hence I resigned," said Suman. 

Also Read: Bihar: Under construction bridge collapses in Bhagalpur

The state's opposition BJP quickly claimed that the event was a setback for Nitish Kumar's opposition unity efforts, as part of which he would organise a conclave next week, which will be attended by bigwigs including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, and Arvind Kejriwal. 

"The resignation of Jitan Ram Manjhi's son is proof of the chasm that exists in the Mahagathbandhan. The alliance has been rejected by the people and it will become evident in the Lok Sabha polls next year and culminate in the defeat of the Mahagathbandhan in the assembly elections a year later," said BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain. 

According to RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari, whose party leads the Mahagathbandhan, "Jitan Ram Manjhi has been known for his pressure tactics and prevarications." Though our government will be unaffected by this choice, it will be a mistake." 

Suman is a member of the legislative council, however, HAM has four MLAs in total, including Manjhi. A government requires 122 members in the 243-member Bihar legislature to function. Even without HAM, the Mahagathbandhan, which also comprises Congress and the Left, has close to 160 members. 

"Earlier this year, at the Mahagathbandhan rally in Purnea, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar spoke of the BJP's attempts to dupe Manjhi," Tiwari continued. He seemed to have fallen into the trap. JD(U) claims of merger pressure do not hold water." Notably, when Manjhi visited Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital around a month ago, many people were surprised. The father-son combo then restated their demand for "at least five seats for HAM in Lok Sabha elections". 

Meanwhile, Leshi Singh, a minister and prominent JD(U) politician, reminded Manjhi that "he rose to the chief minister's chair because of Nitish Kumar's blessings." 

The reference was to the 2014 event in which Nitish Kumar resigned, accepting moral responsibility for the JD(U)'s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. 

Manjhi, who was previously regarded as a low-key minister, was made CM with the backing of his mentor. The Dalit leader's eight-month reign was marred by several scandals and factional feuds inside the party, and he revolted when Kumar chose to return as chief minister. 

A floor test was ordered, but Manjhi elected to resign as CM after understanding he didn't have enough support and later left the JD(U) to establish HAM. 

He began as an NDA partner in the assembly elections later that year but has shifted alliances on several occasions since then.