Bihar polls: Jitan Ram Manjhi clears air on seat sharing; confirms Nitish as NDA's CM face

Patna, April 18 (IANS) Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) chief and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi appears to have softened his earlier assertive stance on seat sharing ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. Once vocal about contesting 40 to 50 seats, Manjhi is now aligning closely with the collective narrative of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), emphasising unity and coordination.

Speaking to the media on Friday, when questioned about the number of seats his party plans to contest, Manjhi said: "The NDA is preparing to contest all seats together. We are fully prepared. There is no dispute within the NDA over seat sharing. We will all sit together and decide. We will fight the elections unitedly."

Manjhi was emphatic about Chief Minister Nitish Kumar being the face of the NDA in the upcoming elections.

“The 2025 elections will be fought under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. He will be the Chief Minister—there should be no confusion about this,” he said.

Referring to Home Minister Amit Shah, Manjhi added: “Even HM Shah has clearly said that Nitish Kumar is our CM face. There is no second opinion on this.”

Taking a dig at the opposition Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) and Tejashwi Yadav, Manjhi questioned the credibility of the coordination committee formed under Tejashwi's leadership.

“He may have been made the chairman of the coordination committee, but that does not mean he is the leader. These people will never unite and will never officially declare Tejashwi as their Chief Ministerial face,” he asserted.

Addressing speculation about Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani possibly rejoining the BJP, Manjhi said: “That is his personal matter. But one thing is certain—the Grand Alliance will never make him Deputy CM. The public will not bless him, and he will not win.”

Manjhi also launched a sharp critique of the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, citing frequent incidents of violence in the state.

“What is happening under Mamata Banerjee's rule is a violation of the Constitution. The Central government should take immediate action, as law and order are being openly flouted,” he said.

--IANS

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