The national spokesperson for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Rajya Sabha Member Prof Manoj Kumar Jha, known for his impassioned oratory, engaged with mid-day on several pertinent issues concerning Bihar. He reiterated the pressing need for granting special status to Bihar to address the challenges of deteriorating infrastructure including health, judicial, education, flood-affected belt, etc. In his 30-minute discourse, he directed criticism towards BJP heavyweights by evoking the 2002 Gujarat riots, countering the ‘jungle raj’ label associated with Bihar during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s regime. 
 
Edited excerpts from an interview:

Who is your prime ministerial candidate?
Manoj Jha: We, the people of India…that’s the prime ministerial candidate. Did we know in 2004 who will be the prime minister? This Constitution does not talk about face. Prime minister is the first minister in the cabinet, that’s it! If you weave a narrative around an individual, that individual will become a dictator.