Just tried to enthuse party workers: Manjhi on HAM going it alone in Bihar polls remark

Patna, Sep 6 (PTI) Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday retracted his statement about going it alone in the Bihar assembly polls if his Hindustani Awam Morcha did not get its due in the BJP-led NDA, contending that he had tried to enthuse party workers with the remarks.

Manjhi, whose speech in Delhi on Thursday, at HAM's national executive, caused a flutter in the state's political circles, broke into a wide grin when reporters approached him with queries.

"I had tried to enthuse my party workers by saying if need be, we may contest 243 seats. In any case, our efforts will be to ensure that the NDA does well in all the constituencies," the former Bihar chief minister said.

The 80-year-old leader maintained that there were "no issues within the NDA in Bihar" and expressed hope that a seat-sharing formula will be arrived at "after the vice presidential elections".

Manjhi, who is known to be not on good terms with cabinet colleague and alliance partner Chirag Paswan, frowned upon the demand for "more than 40 seats", reportedly, by the latter’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), which had won all five seats contested in last year's Lok Sabha polls.

"The character and conduct of that person is well known since 2020," said Manjhi, the HAM's lone MP, referring to Paswan's revolt against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ahead of the last assembly polls, which had caused JD(U)'s tally to crash.

"Be that as it may, all NDA partners should do nothing that queers the pitch for other allies... Once a decision is taken at the top level, all should abide by it," he asserted. PTI NAC RBT