Patna, Dec 19 (NationPress) In the midst of a political upheaval sparked by Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's comments regarding supposed vote tampering during the 2020 Assembly elections, Bihar's Industry and Road Construction Minister Dilip Jaiswal firmly defended him on Friday, asserting that Manjhi's remarks had been misconstrued and misrepresented.

In response to the ongoing controversy, Jaiswal clarified that Manjhi had not accused anyone of vote rigging; rather, he was highlighting instances where election observers may delay or sway the announcement of results.

"Jitan Ram Manjhi did not make any claims about vote manipulation. He indicated that at times, election observers attempt to undermine winning candidates. He stressed that the true results should be revealed, which is why he reached out to the election observer-cum-district magistrate of Gaya. People are distorting his statement," Jaiswal stated.

To bolster his position, Jaiswal referenced previous Assembly elections, where delays in result announcements had raised alarms even when candidates were evidently victorious.

"I wish to make it known that BJP's Gayatri Devi was ahead by 18,000 votes in the Parihar Assembly constituency of Bihar's Sitamarhi district, yet the election observer did not declare her victory for nearly six hours. We contacted the election observer-cum-district magistrate, who had come from Assam. Now, people claim that our contact led to her winning the election. That is false—she was already the winning candidate," he expressed.

Dismissing accusations that the ruling NDA could manipulate election results, Jaiswal pointed to various constituencies where NDA candidates lost by slim margins.

"In the Ramgarh Assembly constituency of Kaimur district, the NDA candidate lost by a mere 30 votes. In Dhaka, we lost by 178 votes, and in Forbesganj, the margin was only 150 votes. If ruling party leaders had the capability to manipulate election outcomes, we would have secured those seats as well. Clearly, that was not the case," he commented.

Jaiswal further asserted that the electoral process remains intact and transparent, cautioning against politicizing Union Minister Manjhi's statements for partisan benefit.

A recent felicitation event for Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) MLA Jyoti Devi from the Barachatti constituency was held at the Mohanpur High School grounds in Mohanpur block of Gaya district, where Union Minister and HAM patron Jitan Ram Manjhi was the chief guest.

Manjhi's comments during the event have since ignited a significant political controversy.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) shared a video clip of Union Minister Manjhi's address on its official X account, alleging that he confessed to influencing past election outcomes.

The RJD claimed that Manjhi stated during the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, a candidate informed him of his losing status, which led to efforts being made to ensure the candidate's eventual victory.

In reference to the 2025 Assembly elections, Manjhi allegedly stated that the same candidate did not contact him in time, resulting in the party's loss of the seat.

"In 2020, the HAM candidate Anil Kumar informed me he was losing and sought solutions. He was trailing by 2,700 votes, but we took action and won. This time he was losing by around 1,600 votes, but he did not reach out to me, leading to the seat slipping away," Manjhi is heard saying in the video shared by the RJD.

The HAM Chief also mentioned a District Magistrate who was in Gaya during the 2020 Assembly elections but is now serving in Tripura.

He recounted how the officer contacted him and how the candidate turned the situation around despite initially trailing.

"Hearing this left me disheartened. Had I been informed sooner, I would have intervened. But what's done is done," Manjhi remarked, according to the shared video.

It is noteworthy that Abhishek Singh was the District Magistrate of Gaya during the 2020 Assembly elections and is currently stationed in Tripura.

In the upcoming 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, HAM contested six seats and secured five victories.

In the Tekari Assembly constituency of Gaya district, HAM candidate Anil Kumar lost by 2,058 votes.

Union Minister Manjhi's comments concerning this electoral defeat were made during the Barachatti rally.

Responding to Manjhi's remarks, the RJD questioned the Election Commission, posting on X: "Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is lamenting his loss in the Tikari Assembly seat in 2025 and his inability to replicate past successes. An officer now in Tripura is also expressing regret. Where are the corrupt Election Commissioners and the Election Commission now? Is this democracy?"

In response to the uproar, Jitan Ram Manjhi rejected the allegations, accusing his political opponents of misrepresenting his words.

Taking to his official X account, the HAM Chief stated, "Some individuals who distorted and circulated my video on social media believe they can tarnish the reputation of the son of a Musahar. I want to assure such individuals that no one can disrespect or mislead the son of a Musahar anymore. Manjhi is now a brand and fears no one."

This controversy has heightened political tensions in Bihar, with opposition parties demanding accountability while leaders of the ruling NDA alliance dismissing the allegations as politically motivated misinterpretations.