I'm chief minister for a short while: Manjhi

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi Thursday admitted that he is the chief minister for a short time.

"Mujhe pata hain. Main thode samay ke liye mukhyamantri hoon (I know. I am chief minister for a short time)," Manjhi said at a function here.

Manjhi also said that he is not someone special with extraordinary qualities.

Manjhi belongs to the Musahar community that derives its name from the practice of eating rats after usually hunting for them in paddy fields. Musahars are considered poor Mahadalits, the most backward among the community.

Manjhi's statement comes on a day his son-in-law resigned as his personal assistant following a hue and cry by the opposition BJP.

Also, a powerful section of the JD-U leadership has demanded that former chief minister Nitish Kumar become the chief minister again ahead of the crucial assembly polls.

The JD-U has, however, made it clear time and again that Manjhi will continue as chief minister till the 2015 polls and the party will contest elections under the leadership of Nitish Kumar.

Only two days ago, Nitish Kumar had hinted that he wants to rule Bihar again, by saying that he put in all efforts to take Bihar on the path of development and would do more if given a chance in the future.

Kumar served as Bihar chief minister from November 2005 till he resigned from the post in June 2014 after the debacle in the last Lok Sabha polls due to the Narendra Modi wave.

Manjhi is the third Dalit to become chief minister after Bhola Paswan Shastri and Ram Sundar Das.

An estimated 2.3 million Musahars live across Bihar in extremely poor conditions. Less than five percent of them are literate and most of them make a living as labourers. They are still considered social untouchables despite a law against it.