I was humiliated in NDA while smooth-talker Paswan got all posts: Jitan Ram Manjhi

A day after walking out of the NDA alliance into the RJD camp, former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi tells Aman Sharma that he does not believe in the charges against Lalu Prasad. He says his party members were not given their due share of posts and he was humiliated at the insistence of Ram Vilas Paswan. Edited excerpts:
Did you leave NDA because you were denied the chance to contest Jehanabad bypoll from NDA camp?
Yes. We have worked very hard in Jehanabad and we had the right over that bypoll seat but it has been given to JDU. See, none of my party members have been given any posts though we were an important part of NDA. We were humiliated. Other constituents of NDA, like Ram Vilas Paswan who do chikni chupdi batein (gullible talk), have got their members made as MLCs and ministers. But our right was first. They blame me for demanding a post for my son but it should not be forgotten that my son is involved in politics since 1998 and left a good job for the same. I still did not demand a post for my son by name but said give a post to any of my partymen of any caste. I gave a proper proposal. But Ram Vilas Paswan came with his family members and got the posts and even his non-MLAs were made MLCs. We were humiliated to benefit Paswan in the NDA family.

The political buzz is that you have left NDA as you were promised a Rajya Sabha seat by RJD…
This is absurd talk…politicians who work on the principle of greed of power dare to compare me on the same level. Such accusations are part of showing me down or (it shows) their mindset. They say I am greedy for a post but when I have already been a chief minister, what other post will I want? If RJD finds me fit to send me to Rajya Sabha, they can. But it is wrong to say I have demanded a Rajya Sabha seat. My only criteria to leave NDA were that the 34 steps taken by me in my chief ministerial term – I wanted a common discussion on it. The steps taken by me in the social and economic sphere would have changed the face of Bihar. In the past 70 years, we are working on old systems of education or poverty alleviation whereby poor are getting poorer and rich are getting richer. I was hoping all these steps will be taken as I was part of NDA which chief minister Nitish Kumar joined last year. Kumar may have faced some difficulties in doing this work as CM with RJD but now that he joined the NDA, he will do these works. But he did not All my decisions were kept in abeyance by Kumar – so what other option was I left with?

You have joined hands with RJD when Lalu Prasad is in jail on corruption charges…
I do not believe in the charges against Lalu Prasad. There are many other scams in Bihar as well –– like Srijan scam and a toilet scam. Why is only Prasad being taken to task and why not others? The fact is that Nitish Kumar is working against the poor and the backward. A majority of people in jails after prohibition was imposed by Nitish Kumar are Dalits and Mahadalits. He is unwilling to increase reservation over 50% like done by Tamil Nadu. properly implement any of my steps.