Paswan counsels Manjhi against quitting CM's post

Amid speculation that Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi could be sacked at tomorrow' JD(U) legislature party meeting, Union Food Minister Ramvilas Paswan today counselled Manjhi against quitting under duress.
"I advise Manjhi not to quit the Chief Minister's post under duress from the JD(U) leadership," Paswan told reporters at Hajipur.
Apparently suggesting that Manjhi should hold the chief minister's post and seek trust vote, Paswan said, "The floor of the legislature assembly is the only place where one is required to prove majority."
Expressing solidarity with the embattled chief minister, the Union Minister said he has full sympathy and support for Manjhi and will do whatever he could to help the former retain his position, a remark that Paswan had made yesterday as well.

Describing Manjhi as elder brother and a fellow brethren as the two leaders hailed from Dalit community, he claimed that it will be difficult for the JD(U) leadership to get rid of the Chief Minister and any effort to do so will tantamount to playing with fire, the Union Minister said referring to sizeable number of Dalits in Bihar.
The Union Minister sought to boost the Chief Minister's confidence saying that any effort to remove him will prove to be unsuccessful in the end.
Asked for his take on the JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav convening his party's legislature party meeting tomorrow to reportedly take a decision on Manjhi's fate, Paswan backed the chief minister's contention saying that only the legislature party leader has authority to take such a decision.

The Union minister also lashed out at the senior JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar for insulting a 'mahadalit' chief minister for past several months for Manjhi's refusal to toe his line.