Manjhi takes dig at Chirag, says seat sharing no issue in NDA

Patna: HAM(S) founder and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday said the NDA constituents will abide by the decision taken from the ‘top’ and there is no problem in seat sharing in the ruling alliance.

However, he took a dig at NDA partner and his cabinet colleague Chirag Paswan and advised him to strengthen the alliance in the coming assembly elections for the development of Bihar.Regarding his remarks during the HAM(S) national convention in Delhi this week that his party may contest like the 2015 elections if they do not get a respectable number of seats this time, Manjhi said such things are said to boost the party workers’ morale.

He said the seat-sharing talks in the NDA will take place after the election for the vice-president’s post.Chirag’s party, LJP (RV), recently claimed that they had contested 137 seats alone in 2020 and wanted at least 43 seats this time. Chirag’s brother-in-law and Jamui MP Arun Bharti said during his party’s Nav Sankalp Mahasabha in Muzaffarpur this week that he hoped to get between 137 and 43 seats. He has also described Chirag as the CM face on many occasions. Bharti also said his party has never contested assembly elections in Bihar with the JD(U) of CM Nitish Kumar.

When asked about it, Manjhi said, “Since 2020, you have been seeing his moves and character (2020 se unka chaal aur charitra jante hain). I cannot say much about him.”Manjhi, however, said Bihar and the country needed the NDA and that all parties should come together to strengthen the alliance.