Manjhi has been meeting with Bihar’s Chief Minister and JD (U) Supreme Nitish Kumar for the past few months. (File photo)
The former prime minister said there has been no discussion so far about the allocation of seats in the next elections to the Bihar Assembly.
- News18.com New Delhi
- Last update: September 2, 2020 4:40 PM IST
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Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, led by Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), formed an alliance with Janata Dal (United) of Nitish Kumar ahead of elections in the state later this year.
“We have forged an alliance with Janata Dal (United) and have become part of the NDA. There has been no discussion about the allocation of seats in the next Bihar Assembly elections,” Manjhi was quoted as saying by the news agency. ANI.
A HAM (S) spokesperson earlier that day had said the party would join the NDA before the Bihar elections.
The number of seats the party will be able to contest in the upcoming elections was never a problem for him, as the HAM (S) will join the NDA for state development, Danish spokesman Rizwan said. The party strongly supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Nitish Kumar for their development work, he added.
Manjhi had previously severed ties with the grand alliance after spending two and a half years in the opposition coalition, which comprises RJD, Congress, RLSP, and Bollywood set designer turned politician Mukesh Sahni, the Vikasshil Insaan Party (VIP ). The HAM (S) chief had also postponed a meeting scheduled for Wednesday with some non-NDA and non-Grand Alliance parties, including former MP Pappu Yadav’s Jan Adhikar Party, to discuss strategy for the elections.
Manjhi met with the chief minister last Thursday and is believed to have held talks about the division of seats. The HAM (S) wants to contest 15-20 seats, mainly in the Magadha region to which Manjhi belongs. But the JD (U) is reportedly willing to drop between 10 and 12 seats.
Manjhi is the only member of his party in the assembly. But their induction would help the NDA reach out to Dalits, particularly the Paswans who form the LJP’s base of support. Dalits in Bihar represent more than 16% of the electorate and are reserved for around 40 seats in the 243-member chamber.
Manjhi had left the JD (U) in 2015 after being forced to resign as prime minister to make way for Kumar’s return. He later formed the HAM (S) and contested 21 seats in the 2015 Bihar assembly elections as a constituent of the NDA. With Kumar’s return to the NDA in July 2017, he withdrew to join the opposition group.
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