Jitan Ram Manjhi. File | Photo credit: The Hindu
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has once again put the National Democratic Alliance in an awkward position with his remarks that all MPs and MLAs are taking kickbacks from their constituency development funds.
The Hindustan Awam Morcha (Secular) leader further claimed that he had given his commission money to the party several times and advised party leaders to use the money to buy a car.
Mr. Manjhi said this at a party on Sunday (December 21).
He told lawmakers that if they were unable to get a 10% commission, they should take at least 5%. He further said that “every MP and MLA takes kickbacks” and “even 10 paise of a rupee” is a significant amount.
“I have personally given commission money to the party fund several times. An MP gets ₹5 lakh and if he gets 10% commission, it will be ₹40 lakh,” said Mr Manjhi, who represents the Gaya ji Lok Sabha constituency.
He also asked his son and party president Santosh Kumar Suman, who is a cabinet minister in the state, to accept commissions as it was “no secret and everyone was doing it”. Looking at his son, Mr. Manjhi said, “If these people (party leaders) are not able to do it, it is the party president’s fault.”
He stated that in the next assembly elections, HAM(S) should contest for 100 seats and if the demands are not met, the party will go it alone. Mr. Manjhi asked his son to prepare an action plan to achieve the goal, with people from his caste supporting it, though HAM(S) would need the support of several other castes.
He also said that NDA ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had made a mistake in underestimating him.
“We are not an ordinary party in Purnia, Magadh and Munger divisions. We also have supporters in West Champaran. Our party is strong everywhere but BJP has underestimated us in every election. Whatever has happened so far is fine. If we are not given importance in the next elections, we will go our own way,” said Mr. Manjhi.
A few days ago, a purported video of Mr. Manjhi’s speech went viral on social media, in which he was heard to have helped his candidate Tikari, trailing by 2,700 votes, win the 2020 assembly elections with the support of the then District Magistrate Gaya ji.
His remarks that he would quit the alliance if his demand for a seat in the Rajya Sabha was not met also created a stir.
“I saw in the news that Janata Dal (United) is getting two Rajya Sabha seats, BJP two and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) one. Where does our party stand? In the 2024 elections we were promised two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha ministerial seat. At that time we got a ministerial seat for which I won one Lok Sabha seat and we got one Lok, Sabha seat because of it. It is still waiting for a Rajya Sabha seat,” said Mr. Manjhi.
Minister and BJP leader Dilip Kumar Jaiswal termed Mr Manjhi’s remarks on Sunday as “personal opinion”. Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav said all is not well in the NDA even after winning 202 seats in the Assembly elections.
Published – 22 Dec 2025 20:46 IST
