Ratnesh Sada joins Nitish Kumar’s cabinet after Suman’s resignation

Ratnesh Sada, a Janata Dal-United (JD-U) MLA, was sworn in as a cabinet member today in Patna, days after Bihar Minister Santosh Kumar Suman resigned from the cabinet led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The lone legislator from the Musahar community, which is regarded as the weakest among Dalits, Sada, could take over as state minister in place of Suman, who resigned on June 13 citing threats to his party’s existence as a result of pressure to join the JD (U).

Sada, a Sonbarsa-based MLA for the Janata Dal (United), claims that the father-son team behind HAM abandoned Nitish Kumar due to their “insatiable greed and lofty ambition.”

Sada has also accused Jitam Ram Manjhi of “paying lip service to Dalits, especially Musahars, despite serving in multiple governments as a minister”, for a long time and serving as the CM of the state for a brief period.

Ratnesh Sada went on to say that Jitan Ram Manjhi has been an MLA since the 1980s, but he has not done much for the Dalits, and most of the time he remained busy working for his family members.

Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) president Santosh Kumar Suman made it clear, that his party was not planning to come in contact with the BJP-led NDA, and would stick with the ruling alliance.

Suman further added that our party is an independent party, and we always think about our existence. I still want to remain with Mahagathbandhan, he said when asked whether he would join the NDA.