Rift in NDA? Manjhi's party insists on seat held by JD-U

Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) on Thursday made it clear that it wanted to contest Gaya Lok Sabha seat, which is currently held by the Janata Dal-United.

Manjhi's son Santosh Suman, who is a minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet, made the statement a day after reports emerged that a seat-sharing formula has been arrived at in the National Democratic Alliance, and the HAM was likely to get only one of the state's 40 constituencies.

"We do not give much credence to reports based on inputs from anonymous sources. We would urge all to wait for a formal announcement on NDA seat-sharing in Bihar," Suman told journalists when asked about the reports that surfaced in the backdrop of former Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan's meeting with BJP chief J P Nadda, in Delhi, a day ago.

According to the reports, the BJP and the JD-U will contest 17 and 16 seats respectively, while Chirag has been given five, including late father Ram Vilas Paswan's bastion Hajipur which is currently held by estranged uncle and Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras.

Manjhi's HAM and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha, are expected to be given one seat each.

Suman was asked about the party's claim on Gaya, which his father has unsuccessfully fought in the last two general elections.

In 2014, when Manjhi was in the JD-U, he was the party's candidate from the reserved seat, but had finished third and lost his deposit.

The minister, who happens to be a native of Gaya district, replied, "Our party has built its cadre in many places, though obviously Gaya occupies a special place and it is a strong wish that a HAM worker be allowed to contest the seat."

Notably, Manjhi has, of late, been hinting that he was done with direct elections and wanted a more relaxed innings as a Rajya Sabha member or as a governor.

This had led to speculations that Suman, who is set to get re-elected to the state legislative council, may give Lok Sabha polls a try.

The minister, however, made it clear that he was loyal towards the NDA, showering praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'fulfilling every promise, be it abrogation of Article 370 or women's reservation bill'.

"On the other side, we have those who ruled the country for decades, who were drubbed in the last few elections and may perform worse this time and, having sat on the women's reservation Bill, are trying to woo female voters," said Suman, in an apparent reference to the Congress' promise of 'Nari Nyay', a Rs 1 lakh annual assistance to a woman in every poor family.