Three-time JD(U) MLA from Sonbarsa in Saharsa district Ratnesh Sada on June 16 took oath as Cabinet Minister in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government in Bihar.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered oath to Mr Sada at a function held at Raj Bhawan. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy in the Cabinet and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav and some ruling party legislators were present in the oath-taking ceremony.
Mr Sada had started his political journey in 1987 and before that he was a rickshaw puller. He won the Assembly election from Sonbarsa in Saharsa district for the first time in 2010 on a JD(U) ticket and has been an MLA for last three consecutive terms.
With his simple nature and good oratory skills, Mr Sada was popular among his Mahadalit community and currently he was also President of JD(U) Mahadalit Cell.
“When Santosh Kumar Suman resigned from our cabinet we thought to appoint Mr Sada in his place and he has been an MLA for three times. We all know him well”, CM Nitish Kumar told media persons after the ceremony.
Mr. Sada is likely to get the portfolio of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Welfare department which was being held by Mr. Suman
Santosh Kumar Suman is son of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) leader and former ally of mahagathbandhan, Jitan Ram Manjhi. Mr Suman had resigned from Nitish Kumar cabinet on June 13 while alleging that Mr Kumar wanted to “merge” his party into JD(U).
A day after on June 14, his father and former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi too reiterated the same and alleged there was “pressure from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to merge his party into JD(U) or, leave the mahagathbandhan and that was not acceptable for me and my partymen”.
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Mr Kumar on Friday confirmed, “Yes, I’d asked him (Mr Manjhi) to merge his party into JD(U) as we knew that he was in touch with BJP also and he wanted to be present in the scheduled upcoming meeting of non-BJP Opposition parties in Patna on June 23”.
“And there was apprehension that he (Mr Manjhi) might inform the BJP leaders about who said what in the Opposition parties meeting so we asked him either to merge or leave us, before the Opposition parties meeting in Patna”, Mr Kumar added while reminding that it was he who had made Mr. Manjhi the Chief Minister of the State.
Mr Manjhi was the Chief Minister of the State for nine months in 2014 when JD(U) had faced drubbing in the Lok Saha poll and Mr Kumar had resigned from the CM’s post on moral ground and proposed name of Mr Manjhi as Chief Minister in his place.
Mr Manjhi and his son Santosh Kumar Suman are likely to visit Delhi and meet senior BJP leaders including Union Minister Amit Shah on June 19 again to chalk out their future political strategies, ahead of the scheduled Opposition parties meeting in Patna on June 23. “After our party’s executive committee meeting we’ll go to Delhi to meet some senior BJP leaders, including union minister Amit Shah on June 19 to mull over our party’s future political strategies”, said Mr Suman.
Earlier on April 13, Mr Manjhi had a meeting with Union Home minister Amit Shah in Delhi and later, he also met Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar in June in Patna. He also held meeting with CM Nitish Kumar and his party leader and minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary and demanded five Lok Sabha seats out of total 40 parliamentary seats in the State.
