PATNA: After his party was allotted six seats in the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) seat share deal for Bihar elections, Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday asserted that NDA might face repercussions as his party was ‘undervalued’ by the ruling alliance.
While talking to the media, Manjhi said, "What the high command decided, we accept, but by giving six seats, they have undervalued us; it may have repercussions in NDA." While he expressed his discontent, he said that he is not unhappy. "In Parliament, we were given one seat, we were still happy. Here, we have been given six seats, and we respect the decision of the leadership," Manjhi added.
On Chirag Paswan's LJP (RV) getting 29 seats, Manjhi said, "Others can understand what they received, but we are satisfied with what we have been allotted, and we have no complaints." Manjhi had demanded 15 seats in the deal as it could have ensured HAM getting the status of a recognised party. He claimed that if HAM contested 15 seats, the party could potentially win 7–8 seats and achieve the necessary 6 per cent vote share across the state, even without winning every seat.
Under the seat-sharing formula, BJP and JD(U) will contest 101 seats each, Chirag Paswan’s LJP(RV) 29, HAM and Rashtriya Lok Morcha led by Upendra Kushwaha six seats each. Kushwaha had earlier expressed his discontent over the seat-sharing arrangements within NDA.