As seat-sharing talks within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) continue ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has demanded at least 15 seats for his party.
According to media reports, speaking on Wednesday, Manjhi said that if the NDA fails to allocate the proposed number of seats, HAM would not contest the elections, though it would continue to support the alliance.
“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, according to NDTV.
He added that he has no desire to become Chief Minister but wants his party to gain formal recognition.
The BJP-led NDA in Bihar includes Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Manjhi’s HAM, and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Earlier in the day, Manjhi posted a cryptic message on X, inspired by a famous line from poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s Rashmirathi, which references Lord Krishna’s failed peace efforts with Duryodhana before the Mahabharata war.
His post read, “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.”
The HAM chief has consistently demanded 15 seats, noting that the party must win at least eight to be officially recognised by the Election Commission, a status that has eluded HAM despite being in existence for a decade.
In the previous assembly election, HAM contested seven seats and won four.
The final seat-sharing arrangement is expected in the next few days. A meeting in Patna on Sunday was followed by another in Delhi on Tuesday, where NDA leaders discussed Chirag Paswan’s demands.
Sources in LJP (Ram Vilas) suggest the party is seeking 45 to 54 seats, while the BJP is reportedly offering only 20–25. Paswan is said to have asked for at least two assembly seats in each of the five Lok Sabha constituencies won by his party.
Following the Delhi meeting, BJP leaders assured Paswan that his demands would be considered, and a further discussion is expected in the coming days to finalise the agreement.
Meanwhile, Chirag Paswan said on Wednesday that talks were progressing well. “I want to clearly state one thing, the discussions are going well, and I believe the right decision will be taken at the right time… As soon as the discussion is completed, it will be shared with you,” he told reporters.
“Chirag Paswan only demands one thing: to make Bihar first and Biharis first. My demand is not about any post or any seat, nor is there any anger towards anyone,” he added.
As per current discussions, JD(U) may contest 102 seats, BJP 101, LJP(RV) 22, HAM 8, and RLM 4, out of Bihar’s 243 constituencies.
Voting will take place in two phases on 6 and 11 November, with results declared on 14 November.
In the outgoing assembly, the NDA holds 131 seats, the BJP (80), the JD(U) (45), the HAM(S) (4), and two Independents. The opposition Mahagathbandhan has 111 seats, comprising RJD (77), Congress (19), CPI(ML) (11), CPI(M) (2), and CPI (2).