From farm labourer to Union Minister: The political endurance of Jitan Ram Manjhi
In short: Born into the Musahar community, Jitan Ram Manjhi rose from a background of manual labour to become a central figure in Indian politics. His career spans decades of shifting party alliances and high-stakes governance in Bihar, culminating in his current role as a senior minister in the national government.
Born in 1944 in Gaya district, Manjhi began his life as the son of farm labourers. His path to public office was unconventional; after graduating from Magadh University, he spent 13 years working at a telephone exchange. He entered the political arena in 1980, securing a seat in the Bihar Legislative Assembly on an Indian National Congress ticket. Over the following decades, he served in various state cabinets under multiple chief ministers, navigating the complex landscape of Bihar politics through affiliations with the Janata Dal, Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Janata Dal (United).
Manjhi’s career is marked by significant volatility and controversy. In 2014, he was appointed Chief Minister of Bihar by Nitish Kumar, a move critics dismissed as a cynical attempt to install a puppet leader. His tenure was brief, ending in 2015 after a political crisis led to his expulsion from his party and subsequent resignation. Throughout his career, he has faced accusations ranging from involvement in a fake degree racket to controversial public statements regarding caste and food security, including a 2008 suggestion that eating rats could be nutritionally sound.
Despite these challenges, Manjhi has remained a resilient political force. Following his departure from the Janata Dal (United), he founded his own party, the Hindustani Awam Morcha. His political survival was cemented by his ability to maintain relevance as a prominent Dalit voice in Bihar. In 2024, he achieved a new milestone by winning a seat in the Lok Sabha from the Gaya constituency and joining the Union cabinet, where he currently serves as the oldest minister in the third term of the NDA government.
His political trajectory reflects the broader, often turbulent shifts in Indian regional governance. From being a state-level minister under various administrations to becoming a national cabinet member, Manjhi’s career illustrates the fluidity of political loyalties in India. Whether through his controversial remarks on food inflation or his strategic alliances, he has consistently positioned himself as a central, if polarizing, figure in the ongoing evolution of the country's democratic landscape.
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