PATNA: A video claiming to show Union minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi speaking about influencing an election result went viral on Friday, sparking an uproar among opposition parties. After the furore, Manjhi claimed the video had been tampered with and accused his political opponents of trying to malign him.
In the video, Manjhi is heard addressing a public gathering in Magahi, a local dialect, and is allegedly heard saying that he helped secure a candidate’s victory in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections by speaking to the then district magistrate.
He says the candidate was trailing by 2,600 votes but went on to win after his intervention. “This time, the candidate lost by 1,600 votes, but he wasn’t informed,” Manjhi adds in the clip. The official margin of victory does not match Manjhi’s claim.
The remarks were reportedly made during a programme in Mohanpur block of the Barachatti Assembly constituency. In the video, Manjhi also refers to the district magistrate involved, who is now reportedly posted in Tripura.
Manjhi denied having said such things. “Some people, who tampered with one of my videos to make it go viral, think they can defame the son of a Musahar,” he said. “I want to tell such people that no one can either insult the son of a Musahar or fool him now. Those who spit at the sky are forgetting that the spit will fall back on their own face. Now Manjhi has become a brand—no longer afraid of anyone.”
The RJD shared the video on social media and accused Manjhi of openly admitting to electoral manipulation. “This is Jitan Ram Manjhi, a cabinet minister in the Government of India, former chief minister of Bihar, and patron of the HAM party. He is openly revealing the royal formula for winning elections through manipulation of results, machinery, and rigging,” the party said.
The RJD also claimed that Manjhi was expressing regret over his party’s defeat in the Tekari Assembly constituency and questioned the role of constitutional authorities.