Jitan Ram Manjhi: Mahadalit Leader Who Once Defied Nitish Kumar

Once a confidant of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Jitan Ram Manjhi today leads his own party, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), which is a part of the ruling NDA.

Majhi was the Bihar Chief Minister from May 20, 2014, to February 20, 2015, before Nitish Kumar's return to the top office. Manjhi had initially refused to vacate the Chief Minister's chair but had to go in the face of an imminent defeat in a floor test in the Bihar assembly.

Who Is Jitan Ram Manjhi?

1. Jitan Ram Manjhi was born on October 6, 1944, Gaya to Ramjit Ram Manjhi, a tea vendor, and Sukumari Devi. Belonging to the Musahar community, one of Bihar's Mahadalit groups, Manjhi has often spoken about his hardships, recalling how his community survived by eating rats during lean monsoon months. "Even I am a rat-eater," he once said in an interview.
2. Manjhi graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Magadh University. He married Shanti Devi on 20 April 1974.
3. Manjhi's political journey began with the Congress in 1980, when he was elected as an MLA from the Fatehpur Assembly seat in Gaya. Over the next few decades, he moved across parties: Janata Dal (1990-96), Rashtriya Janata Dal (1997-2005), and Janata Dal (United) from 2005 to 2015.
4. He served as a minister in Bihar under multiple chief ministers, including Chandrashekhar Singh, Satyendra Narayan Sinha, Jagannath Mishra, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Nitish Kumar.
5. He became Bihar's 23rd Chief Minister, holding office from May 20, 2014, to February 20, 2015. This came after Nitish Kumar resigned from the top post following JD(U)'s loss in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
6. When the JD(U) high command asked him to resign so Nitish Kumar could reclaim the CM's chair, Manjhi refused, much to the displeasure of his one-time mentor. In February 2015, facing a floor test, Manjhi resigned after it was certain that he would lose it.
7. Following his expulsion from the party, Manjhi alleged he was allowed to work only for 10-12 days and that it was Nitish who controlled everything.
8. He then founded the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) [HAM(S)] in 2015 and allied with the BJP and LJP, but won only one seat in the 2015 Bihar elections. Later, Manjhi joined the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, but failed to win any seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In 2024, he returned to the NDA and was elected to the 18th Lok Sabha. He later became the Union Minister for MSME.
9. Manjhi has frequently attracted controversy. In 2023, he said Ravan was more knowledgeable in rituals than Ram and called the Ramayana a work of fiction. This drew criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party and opposition leaders; he later apologised.
10. In 2021, he criticised Satyanarayan Puja, saying Brahmins often refused to eat in Musahar homes and demanded cash instead of food. He has openly said that he does not believe in ritualistic puja, recalling an incident from Class VII when he was asked to leave a temple because of his caste. In 2014, he criticised upper-caste dominance in Hindu rituals, calling those identifying as "upper caste" foreigners.