Union minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has demanded at least 15 seats for his party in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, amid ongoing seat-sharing negotiations within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Manjhi has made it clear that if his party does not get a “respectable number of seats”, HAM will not contest the polls.
“We are praying to NDA leaders because we feel humiliated. We need a respectable number of seats so that we get recognition as a party. If we do not get the proposed number of seats, we will not contest the election. We will support NDA, but we won’t contest the election,” Manjhi said, as quoted by NDTV.
Manjhi has been demanding that HAM should be allowed to contest at least 15 seats, stating the party must win a minimum of eight to secure the ‘recognised’ status from the Election Commission. He reiterated that he is not seeking the chief minister’s post but wants HAM to be formally recognised.
Earlier in the day, Manjhi shared a post on X, quoting lines inspired by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s Rashmirathi: “If there is justice, then give half; If there is any obstacle in that; Then give only 15 grams; Keep your entire land; WE (HAM) will happily eat that; And not raise a sword against kin.”
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In the last election, HAM was allotted seven seats and won four. Reports indicate that the NDA’s final seat-sharing announcement may take two to three days.
Seat-Sharing Talks Continue Within NDA
The NDA in Bihar includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Manjhi’s HAM, and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Following alliance meetings in Patna and Delhi this week, Chirag Paswan has demanded 45–54 seats for his party, while the BJP is reportedly willing to offer 20–25 seats. Paswan has also sought at least two Assembly seats in each of the five Lok Sabha constituencies his party won.
“I want to clearly state one thing that the discussions are going well and I believe that the right decision will be taken at the right time… As soon as the discussion is completed, it will be shared with you,” Chirag Paswan told reporters in Bihar.
“Chirag Paswan only demands one thing that is to make Bihar first and Biharis first. Chirag’s demand is neither regarding any post, nor regarding any anger towards anyone, nor regarding anyone’s seats,” he added.
Bihar Elections in Two Phases
According to reports, JD(U) may contest 102 seats and BJP 101, while LJP(RV) may get 22 seats, HAM 8, and RLM 4. Bihar’s 243 assembly constituencies will go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the results to be declared on November 14.
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In the outgoing government, the NDA holds 131 seats—BJP 80, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4 and two Independents—while the Mahagathbandhan has 111 seats, including RJD’s 77, Congress’s 19, CPI(ML)’s 11, CPI(M)’s 2 and CPI’s 2.
