Bihar: Grand Alliance Leader Meets Jitan Manjhi Ahead Of Trust Vote, Says Visit Was 'Apolitical'

The meeting took place at Manjhi's residence. Where both parties stressed that there was no political agenda for the meeting.

Liberation legislature party leader Mehboob Alam, who is part of Bihar's Opposition coalition, 'Mahagathbandhan', met former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, NDA ally and founder of the Hindustani Awam Morcha, on Saturday, as reported by PTI.

The meeting took place at Manjhi's residence. Both sides said that the meeting, held just 48 hours before the newly formed NDA government to seek a vote of confidence, had no political agenda.

According to PTI, Mehboob Alam said: "Manjhi ji is our guardian, a senior leader whom we regularly meet. Of late, he has not been keeping well. So I came and was glad to see that he is better now."

When asked if they shared tea, the Left leader Alam jokingly replied, "Yes, we had tea, we also had coffee. Manjhi is in high spirits and he will play a good game (achha khel dikhayenge)." Notably, "khel" has become a buzzword in Bihar's political circles ever since RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who lost the Deputy Chief Minister's post as a result of JD(U) president Nitish Kumar's move to the NDA, declared that the "game was still on".

Speculation has arisen that Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi's father and RJD supremo, would use his influence to alter the outcome of the trust vote.

However, Alam clarified, "I mentioned the word khel in a general sense. Please note that we are not involved in any underhand tactics."

Manjhi, whose party has only four MLAs, previously stated that he declined an offer from the RJD for the Chief Minister's position in lieu of additional Cabinet positions, apart from the one designated for his son Santosh Suman.

Manjhi was unavailable for comment on the meeting. However, party vice-president and MLA Anil Kumar, present at the meeting, stated, "It was an informal meeting. Leaders of various parties do keep visiting Manjhi. There were no political discussions". He downplayed the timing of the meeting just before the trust vote, stating, "Our party is intact and 100% with Manjhi's decision to stay with the NDA and the Nitish Kumar government in the state," PTI reported.

In the 243-member state assembly, the NDA holds 128 seats, six more than the required majority. The 'Mahagathbandhan', comprising RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), CPI, and CPI(M), holds 114 seats, eight short of the majority mark.