Patna, Dec 20 (AHN) A statement by Union MSME Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi has triggered a major political controversy in Bihar after a video surfaced in which he is allegedly heard claiming that he contacted the District Magistrate to ensure the victory of a candidate who was trailing by 2,700 votes in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections.

Following the uproar, Manjhi has strongly denied allegations of vote manipulation, calling the viral video misleading and wrongly interpreted.

Clarifying his remarks, Manjhi said that he was referring only to the legal process of recounting, not vote rigging.

“This is a false and misleading video. You must remember that in the 2020 election, after recounting, one candidate won by just 27 votes, while a JDU candidate lost by the same margin. My point was only about requesting a recounting of votes,” Manjhi said.

He explained that during the 2020 elections, HAM (Secular) candidate Anil Kumar from Tikari constituency had demanded a recount, which eventually led to his victory.

“I was telling him that in 2020, he won after a recount. This time, instead of demanding a recount, he left. My point was that he should not have run away and should have sought a recount again,” Manjhi said.

Manjhi further clarified that Abhishek Singh, who was the District Magistrate of Gaya in 2020, was a competent and impartial officer.

“We only asked the DM to provide recounting figures, which he did. There was no wrongdoing. Even this time, the DM was fair. Had we asked for a recounting, the result might have been different,” he added.

Despite the clarification, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has intensified its attack, claiming that Manjhi’s remarks amount to an admission of electoral manipulation.

RJD leader Gautam Krishna said, “Jitan Ram Manjhi’s statement is a clear confession. This proves what we have been alleging all along. We demand that the Election Commission immediately form a special team and conduct a fair and impartial investigation into the Bihar Assembly elections.”

The controversial video was reportedly recorded during a felicitation ceremony for HAM MLA Jyoti Devi of the Barachatti constituency, held at Mohanpur High School in Gaya district.

In the clip, Manjhi is heard saying that in 2020, his party’s candidate was losing by 2,700 votes but won after efforts were made by him, while in 2025, the candidate lost by 1,600 votes because he did not seek help from me, and he lost the election.

The issue has now escalated into a wider political debate, with the opposition alleging electoral misconduct and the ruling alliance insisting that the remarks are being deliberately distorted for political gain.