PATNA: Two days after former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi led Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular (HAM(S)) withdrew its support to the grand alliance government, the party's chief Santosh Kumar Suman announced in New Delhi on Wednesday that it would contest both 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 assembly polls in the state as part of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The announcement came soon after HAM patron Manjhi along with his son and former minister Santosh Kumar Suman met union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday. Suman had resigned from Nitish Kumar cabinet on June 13 on the plea that he was pressurised by Nitish to merge HAM with JD(U). He was ST/ST Welfare department minister, the post was later allotted to JD(U) MLA Ranteshwar Sada. HAM has four MLAs in the Bihar Legislative Assembly.
With HAM joining NDA fold, the formation of old NDA is slowly getting its shape in the state ahead of next year's Lok Sabha election. Former minister Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal is also likely to join NDA soon. Kushwaha has already given indications about him joining NDA.
Two other leaders—Chirag Paswan and Mukesh Sahani—have soft a corner for BJP. While Chirag had campaigned for BJP candidates in by-polls in Kurhani and Gopalganj assembly seats, Sahani has recently been provided 'Y' plus category security cover by the central government.
Political analysts said that BJP is making efforts to unite smaller (regional) parties in its favour to counter the grand alliance in both Lok Sabha and assembly elections. HAM joining on is a case in point, they added.