With senior JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar admitting mistake in choosing Jitan Ram Manjhi to succeed him as Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr Manjhi today said that it was not just a "mistake" but "a great mistake".
"I have spent 34 year in politics and worked on different posts as minister and legislator...he (Nitish) committed great mistake in assuming that I'll act like his puppet," Mr Manjhi told reporters.
Mr Manjhi, who had been so far maintaining restrain in making comments on Nitish Kumar, said "it is true that after becoming CM in May last year for 1-2 months, I used to act on whatever instruction that came from there (Nitish Kumar) on which people started calling me a rubber stamp CM and being run by remote by Kumar," he said.
"Mein garib jaroor hu par swabhiman rakhta hu (I am a poor no doubt but has self respect)," he said.
"I rather consolidated vote of a large section of society (dalits and mahadalits who constitute over 22 per cent of votes in Bihar) to the JD(U) so that they no longer look for here and there but be with us (JD-U)," he said.
"They ganged up against me and put pressure on Nitish Kumar to act against me," he said.
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