Is Jitan Ram Manjhi Content with HAM's 6 Seats in Bihar Elections?
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Patna, Oct 13 (NationPress) Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi expressed his contentment with the NDA's seat-sharing arrangement for the forthcoming Bihar Assembly elections, despite his party receiving a notably lower number of seats than anticipated.
Reflecting on his prior experiences during the Lok Sabha elections, Manjhi stated that he is "accustomed to being overlooked."
This announcement follows the ruling NDA's declaration of its seat distribution for the 243-member Bihar Assembly, which includes HAM.
According to the agreement, HAM has been assigned six seats, a substantial reduction from Manjhi's original request.
Initially, he sought 40 seats for the 2025 elections but later revised his demand to 15. Ultimately, the alliance offered just six seats to his party.
In an interview with IANS, Manjhi remarked, "During the parliamentary elections, we were promised two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat, but we ended up with only one. We had indicated that a minimum of eight seats was essential for recognition as a registered party. However, there's no guarantee of winning all those seats, which is why we asked for at least 15, but received only six. Nevertheless, we are satisfied."
Manjhi refuted rumors that he might abandon the NDA due to the lower-than-expected seat allocation, reaffirming his allegiance to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attributing his patience to the resilience of his community.
"We stand with PM Narendra Modi, who has provided us with immense respect and support for the development of Gaya, Bihar, and the nation. We are prepared to make any sacrifice for this. Additionally, as I belong to a backward community, we are accustomed to enduring hardship. That is why we are content with what we have. This is why we continue to align ourselves with the NDA," he stated.
The NDA's seat-sharing plan disclosed on Sunday features the BJP and JD(U) vying for 101 seats each, while Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has been allocated 29 seats. Both Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) will contest six seats each.