Bihar polls: Manjhi wants tickets for 15 sitting MLAs

Patna, Jul 9: Former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi today said his party has reached an alliance with the NDA in principle and the seat sharing would be decided at the meeting of NDA constituents.

He, however, said all 15 sitting MLAs who have rebelled against JD(U) and are now part of HAM should get the tickets. "This 15 seats of sitting MLAs would be definitely our condition in the seat sharing talks of the NDA," Manjhi told reporters.

Manjhi denied reports suggesting that HAM sought 60 seats for it from NDA, saying, "There is no demand for a fixed number of seats...we will sort it out during NDA meeting." He also denied having talked to BJP chief Amit Shah yesterday as reported in sections of the media.

Manjhi, who has emerged as leader of Dalits which constitute about 22 per cent, did not buy the reservation of LJP chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan against five MLAs associated with HAM, but who were earlier with LJP. "Such things are common in every political parties.

Even in LJP there are leaders who were earlier with some other parties," Manjhi said. Manjhi made a scathing attack at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and sought that Bihar should go into the Assembly elections under President's rule by removing Kumar.

"HAM leaders would make this demand of President's rule in Bihar when they meet Election Commission team in Delhi on July 16 with regard to poll symbol and other formalities with the EC," he said. The party would make this demand even to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Manjhi added.

PTI