Patna: Amid reports of a power tussle between Jitan Ram Manjhi and Nitish Kumar, Union minister and senior BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy today lauded the former for doing "good work" as chief minister and said that it will be difficult to get rid of him from the post.
"Manjhi ko hatana asaan nahin hoga (it will difficult to get rid of Manjhi from chief ministership," Rudy told reporters at Patna airport when asked on reports of infighting within JD(U) due to power tussle between Kumar and Manjhi.
Rudy's remarks come in the wake of speculation that Kumar during his recent visit to New Delhi had tried to impress leaders like Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav to remove Manjhi.
Hailing Manjhi for doing a good work as the Chief Minister, Rudy said that to him Manjhi appeared to be a seasoned politician who knew the nuances of politics.
"I had heard his speech during the launch of NTPC thermal power projects at Barh and Kanti few months ago and on the basis of it, I can say that Manjhi is a seasoned politician," the Union minister said.
Claiming that Kumar and the RJD supremo were displeased with Manjhi for carving out a "niche" for himself, Rudy alleged that the two could not digest the fact that any other leader could grow in stature as parallel to theirs.
On being asked for his views on whether Manjhi should submit his resignation to Raj Bhawan with a recommendation for fresh polls in the eventuality of being removed from his post, the Union Minister suggested that such a situation will not arise saying that it will be difficult the JD(U) and RJD leadership to get rid of the Chief Minister.
Rudy's guarded response on Manjhi's future course of action in the event of being eased out from the CM's post assumes significance as former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi had yesterday backed Manjhi against any move to being sacked and promised that the BJP will consider bailing him out in such an eventually.
