Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday widened his support base with leaders from different parties criticising Nitish Kumar for creating "unnecessary turmoil" in the state.

Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan and Pataliputra BJP MP Ram Kripal Yadav stressed Manjhi be given an opportunity to prove his majority on the floor.

The timing of both the Union ministers supporting Manjhi's claim assumes importance as on Sunday, Manjhi separately met Prime Minister Narendra Modi after attending the Niti Aayog conference. Later in the evening, he met Union road, transport and highways and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari.

Another Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief, Upendra Kushwaha, took a swipe at Nitish for "making an attempt to turn Manjhi a rubber stamp CM". Also, state industries minister Bhim Singh said Nitish "suffered from a severe inferiority complex vis-à-vis Manjhi".

"Manjhi would sail through the trust vote," Bhim said.

Paswan said: "Given the situation Manjhi is chief minister and if he is claiming that he enjoys the support of his MLAs, let him have the opportunity to prove it. If he fails to prove majority, the governor has a wide range of options. He can call Nitish to prove his majority. Majority of a House can't be tested in a room or a party office."

He added: "In the SR Bommai case, the Supreme Court stated that the majority would be tested in the House."

Echoing Paswan, Ram Kripal said Manjhi should be given a chance to prove his majority. Asked whether the BJP with its 87 MLAs would support Manjhi in the floor test, the former RJD man said: "The BJP is keeping a tab on everything and depending upon the situation, the party will take a decision."

Kushwaha, who has been on an intensive tour to the eastern Bihar districts, said: "The steps taken by JDU leadership against Manjhi is being considered as an attack against the Dalit communities and for that people in the state would never forgive Nitish."

Bhim added: "I remember that during a recent function, while Nitish, Bashishtha (Narayan Singh) and Lalan (Singh) sat on chairs that had white towels, Manjhi was given a normal chair. This proves that he being a Mahadalit, was subjected to insult again."

Bhim, who comes from extremely backward class, said there were "invisible" powers backing the chief minister and Nitish was the real conspirator behind the insult, which Manjhi had to face time and again from his own party leaders and ministers.

"I am speaking straight from heart. I stand shocked today after seeing the real face of my favourite leader Nitish. Till now, I had an idea that some leaders were insulting and spitting fire on Manjhi on their own and Nitish had no role in it. In the developments that followed in the past three to four days, I realised it was Nitish who was leading the show against Manjhi. It is disappointing and shows the dangerous side of Nitish," Bhim said on Monday.

Bhim, who chose to switch off the television at his office on Monday, played the Mahadalit and EBC card stating that Manjhi's popularity among the people of Bihar had grown after he decided to take a stand against Nitish and his team. He added that RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who was also a leader of the lower castes (Yadavs), should have used his wisdom and sided with Manjhi.

Ram Kripal, once close enough to Lalu to be known as his "Hanuman" (like the mythological character of loyalty to Lord Ram), joined the BJP just before the Lok Sabha polls. On Monday, he attacked both Nitish and his former boss, Lalu, for the current political crisis in Bihar. He said: "The entire drama is being enacted by Nitish and Lalu. Nitish is power hungry and cannot remain away from power for long while Lalu's politics revolves around his family."

Bhim sounded more logical about Manjhi's victory: "When it comes to numbers, we are confident as there are many 'invisible' faces who are with us. They are not in the forefront because they are afraid of Nitish."