Bihar Assembly Polls: Hindustan Awam Morcha leader and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has issued an ultimatum to the National Democratic Alliance ahead of Bihar elections, demanding at least 15 seats or his party will not contest, though it will remain in the coalition. BJP chief JP Nadda has reportedly contacted Manjhi to address his concerns.
NDA Ally Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Statement
“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. I don’t want to become Chief Minister. I just want our party to be recognised,” Manjhi stated.
Literary Reference to Demand
Manjhi employed a creative approach by tweaking legendary poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s classic war poem Rashmirathi to express his party’s demands. In a post on X, he modified the original verse that mentioned “5 gram” (five villages) to “15 gram” (15 seats).
“Ho nyay agar to aadha do, yadi usmein bhi koi badha ho, to de do keval 15 gram, rakho apni dharti tamam, HAM wahi khushi se khayenge, parijan pe asi na uthayenge,” he wrote, loosely translating to: ‘Give us just 15 villages and keep everything else. HAM will be happy and won’t raise arms against our own.’
Current Seat-Sharing Negotiations in Bihar Assembly Polls
According to sources, the proposed allocation for Bihar’s 243 assembly seats includes approximately 100 seats each for JDU and BJP. Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) may receive 24 seats, Manjhi’s HAM 10 seats, and Upendra Kushwaha’s party about six seats.
Manjhi is not alone in his dissatisfaction. Chirag Paswan has also expressed unhappiness with the proposed allocation, demanding at least 40 seats for his party, indicating broader coalition management challenges within the NDA.
Political Significance
The dispute highlights tensions within the ruling alliance as it finalizes candidates for Bihar Assembly Polls. Manjhi’s conditional ultimatum—threatening non-participation while maintaining alliance loyalty—represents a delicate negotiating position aimed at securing better terms without breaking coalition bonds.
The NDA has yet to announce its final seat-sharing formula, with negotiations continuing as multiple smaller allies seek recognition and adequate electoral representation within the coalition structure.
