Bhagirath Manjhi, son of Dashrath Manjhi, popularly known as the 'Mountain Man,' has expressed disappointment over not receiving a Congress party ticket for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, despite what he claims were prior assurances.
Speaking to ANI, Bhagirath Manjhi said he had travelled to Delhi and stayed there for four days in the hope of securing a ticket to contest in the elections.
"I stayed in Delhi for 4 days but didn't get the ticket... I had submitted all the papers. I had asked Rahul Gandhi for the ticket, and he had said that he would give the ticket... I was hopeful of getting the ticket... Everyone was given tickets, but we didn't get the tickets. I stayed in Delhi for 4 days. I didn't get to meet Rahul Gandhi," he said.
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Dashrath Manjhi, known across the country for his extraordinary feat, hailed from Gehlaur village near Gaya. According to the Bihar government, Manjhi single-handedly carved a 110-metre-long (360 feet), 9.1-metre-wide (30 feet), and 7.7-metre-deep (25 feet) path through a hill using only a hammer and chisel. The project took him 22 years to complete and reduced the distance between the Atri and Wazirganj blocks in Gaya district from 55 km to 15 km.
Dashrath Manjhi passed away on August 17, 2007, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. The Bihar government accorded him a state funeral and proposed his name for the Padma Shri award in 2006 under the social service category. In 2016, the India Post released a commemorative stamp in his honour under the 'Personalities of Bihar' series.
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Rahul Gandhi earlier paid tribute to Dashrath Manjhi on his death anniversary. He highlighted that Manjhi's determination and passion to accomplish his goals will continue to inspire everyone.
The Mahagathbandhan, comprising the Congress, RJD, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), and Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP), appears to be grappling with internal coordination.
While Congress and the RJD have declared their respective candidates, the alliance is yet to formally announce a seat-sharing formula.
In contrast, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has finalised its seat-sharing arrangement, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] contesting 101 seats each. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest 29 seats, while the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) will contest six seats each.
Polling for the Bihar Assembly elections is scheduled in two phases on November 6 and November 11. Counting of votes will take place on November 14.
