Patna, Oct 10 (PTI) Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said on Thursday that his party, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), an ally of the NDA, aims to contest at least 10 seats in the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections.
The former Bihar CM emphasised his commitment to the NDA, stating he would abide by any seat-sharing arrangements made within the BJP-led coalition.
“We will certainly contest the coming assembly polls in Jharkhand,” he told reporters.
Majhi also mentioned that he recently addressed a rally in Chatra, where he confirmed the intention to contest a minimum of 10 seats.
However, the 80-year-old leader added, “We are part of the NDA… I will accept whatever seat-sharing arrangements are made after consultation with other alliance partners in Jharkhand. But we will contest the Jharkhand assembly polls; that is quite clear.” As the founder of HAM (S), Manjhi is known for his pro-Dalit agendas, which play a significant role in the electoral landscape of Bihar and neighbouring states.
A Musahar Dalit, he has been attempting to secure a seat in the Gaya Lok Sabha constituency since 2014 and finally succeeded in the 2024 elections.
Previously, he had contested as a JD(U) candidate in 2014 but finished third, and in 2019, he contested as a HAM (S) aspirant, losing to the JD(U) by a margin of over 150,000 votes.
Manjhi was a surprising choice for Chief Minister by Nitish Kumar in 2014, tasked with temporarily holding the position after Kumar’s resignation following a significant defeat in the Lok Sabha elections that year.
Before becoming Chief Minister, Manjhi served as the minister for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare in Nitish Kumar’s cabinet and was also a minister in the RJD government from 1996 to 2005, under Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi.
Throughout his political career, Manjhi has been associated with several political parties, including Congress (1980–1990), Janata Dal (1990–1996), Rashtriya Janata Dal (1996–2005), and JD(U) (2005–2015). PTI PKD SBN SBN
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