Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has to prove his strength in the floor of the house on February 20. Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has to prove his strength in the floor of the house on February 20.

He's known to shoot off his mouth but this time Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has outdone himself. Speaking exclusively to the India Today Group, Manjhi has said, 'Only 2-5 per cent men go on outings with their wives. Others go out on dates with other men's wives. There is nothing wrong in having a girlfriend. If you go to Patna's Eco park it's not only unmarried people who are hanging out together. If both the man and the woman are adults and their relationship is consensual, there is nothing wrong in having an affair. This a personal choice.' Manjhi made this comment in the context of his own son being caught having an affair with married police woman in August 2014.

VIDEO: Exclusive interview with Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi - "90 per cent men date other people's wives"



That's not the only controversial comment Manjhi made in the interview. He also said that, 'As a Chief Minister I would forgive a poor person if he is caught indulging in black marketing and hoarding. Punishment must have a discretionary quota. If poor people who are barely being able to make ends meet indulge in wrong doing then we have to be lenient with them. The law must come down on the rich thieves and not the poor.'

Jitan Ram Manjhi, whose Facebook status as Bihar CM, would probably read 'It's complicated', was in Delhi for meetings with senior BJP leaders. Manjhi's trip to Delhi follows a show of strength by Nitish Kumar, during which the former CM paraded 130 MLAs in the capital. But Manjhi alleges that many of those who were part of Nitish's delegation were 'bogus MLAs.' 'Nitish claims to have brought 130 MLAs to Delhi. But 30 of those were not even MLAs. They were chairmen of various state boards and commissions.'

Manjhi has to prove his strength in the floor of the house on February 20. He claims to have the support of 62 MLAs from the JDU, 13 MLAs from RJD and 3 MLAs from the Congress. 'My opponents are openly threatening my supporters. That's why they are not coming out and declaring their support for me. Let there be a secret ballot on the floor of the house on February 20 and we will know who has the support of the majority of the JDU members.'

The CM also dropped hints about his future course of action. For the first time, Manjhi publically admitted to being in talks with the BJP leadership. 'Till 20 February I'm going nowhere. After that circumstances can change and I will take a decision on the basis of the altered circumstances. I'm not ruling anything in or out. You can't say where you will be two hours from now so how can I say where I will be next week.'

Manjhi had been handpicked by Nitish to replace him when Nitish stepped down from the CM's post. But today the protege has turned against his mentor. 'Instead of launching a public attack against me, I wish Nitish Kumar had told me in person what my fault was. If only he had spoken to me, explained my mistakes, I would have stepped down myself. Instead he got his spokespersons to launch personal attacks against me. I was very hurt when he did this.'

Manjhi in Hindi means boatsman. When asked if he would be the Manjhi who would sink the JDU's boat, Manjhi turned philosophical. 'The Manjhi never sinks the boat. No matter how strong the current is, the Manjhi always manages to steer the boat to the shore.'