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A video went viral, purportedly showing Jitan Ram Manjhi saying that a phone call to an IAS officer helped his candidate win in Tekari during the 2021 Assembly election in Bihar.
Union Minister and HAM(S) president Jitan Ram Manjhi. (File photo)
A purported video on social media showing Union Minister and Hindustani Awami Morcha (Secular) supremo Jitan Ram Manjhi claiming that a phone call to an IAS officer in Gaya ensured the victory of one of his party candidates, who had been trailing by around 2,600 votes, in the 2020 Assembly elections.
The video, which is believed to be from a function held on December 14 to honour HAM(S)’s victory in the recent Assembly elections, purportedly shows Manjhi saying that the party candidate from Tekari, Anil Kumar, had been trailing by around 2,600 votes.
“He was trailing by 2,600 votes (in 2020 polls), but I made sure he won the election. This time, he had been trailing only by 2,600 votes but didn’t make such requests,” he said. Manjhi also named an IAS officer, now posted in Tripura, for helping his Tekari candidate win the 2020 polls by 2,630 votes. This time, Anil Kumar lost by 2,058 votes.
The video triggered a political slugfest, with the opposition saying that Manjhi’s remarks proved the ‘vote chori’ allegations by the Congress and its allies. “Manjhi’s open acceptance shows how blatantly election results are manipulated and influenced. It shows how bureaucracy is being misused by the current establishment,” Bihar Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari told The Indian Express.
RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta demanded a high-level probe into the matter, saying, “This is a grave statement coming from a Union Cabinet minister. He has been named an IAS officer as well. We want a high-level probe into it. Let the conduct of the IAS officer also be probed. We have apprehensions of such things happening during the 2025 Assembly polls as well.”
Jitan Manjhi Says Video ‘Tampered’
After backlash, Manjhi claimed the video was “tampered” with and was being circulated in an attempt to “tarnish his image” and “dismantle Brand Manjhi.” While speaking to reporters, Manjhi said, “That video is wrong. We only demanded a recounting (of votes).”
#WATCH | Patna | On reports of a viral video alleging that in 2020, he helped a candidate who was losing win the election by speaking to the DM, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi says, “This is a wrong video… Figures for recalculation are requested… In the year 2020, after the… pic.twitter.com/4VlfmuPTpU— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2025
“In the year 2020, after the recalculation, our candidate had won. What I meant was that they (Tikari HAM (S) candidate Anil Kumar) should not have run away and should have gotten the recalculation done,” he added.
In a post on X, Manjhi said, “Some people who tampered with one of my videos to make it go viral think they can defame the son of a Musahar. I want to tell such people that now, no one can either insult the son of a Musahar or fool him. Those who spit at the sky, you are forgetting that the spit you throw at the sky will fall back on your own face. Now, Manjhi has become a brand, and he is no longer afraid of anyone.”
मेरे एक विडियो के साथ छेडछाड कर वायरल करने वाले कुछ लोगों को लगता है कि मुसहर के लाल को बदनाम कर देंगें।ऐसे लोगों को मैं बता देना चाहता हूँ कि अब मुसहर के बेटे को कोई ना तो अपमानित कर सकता है ना ही बेवक़ूफ़ बना सकता है।“आसमान पर थूकने वालों तुम यह भूल रहे हो कि आसमान पर फेंका…— Jitan Ram Manjhi (@jitanrmanjhi) December 18, 2025
Bihar Industry Minister and former BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal also defended the Union Minister. “I had seen the uncut and unedited Gaya video of Manjhi. He had been only referring to the slow process of counting during the 2020 polls and how his candidate had been trailing till the penultimate round and eventually won,” he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said that while the HAM(S) president should answer the question, the opposition cannot make sweeping statements about vote theft. “Have the Opposition and ECI taken it up? Just raising questions would not do,” he said.
Gaya, India, India
December 20, 2025, 14:43 IST
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