HAM's Manjhi ‘retires,’ paves way for his son’s elevation in Bihar NDA
It is being speculated that Manjhi wanted his son Santosh Kumar Suman, who is also the president of Hindustani Awam Morcha, to be given a ticket in the Lok Sabha election.
Published: 02nd October 2023 08:00 AM | Last Updated: 02nd October 2023 08:24 AM | A+A A-
Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) Chief Jitan Ram Manjhi (File Photo | PTI)
PATNA: Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday asserted that he would not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election as he was already 79.
Manjhi told media persons that no person should contest elections after 75 years of age although it was another matter some people even after attaining this age did not hesitate in entering the electoral fray.
“I am 79 years old, and contesting elections in such a situation will be against my principles,” he remarked while announcing his retirement from electoral politics.
Manjhi who returned to NDA in June this year had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi last week. After the meeting, he claimed before the media that he had not met Shah in connection with the Lok Sabha election.
It is being speculated that Manjhi wanted his son Santosh Kumar Suman, who is also the president of HAM, to be given a ticket in the Lok Sabha election.
Suman was the minister in the Grand Alliance government but he had resigned from his ministerial post, making allegations of Nitish exerting pressure on him to merge his party with his party, JD (U). Later, he announced to join the NDA.
On the possibility of Nitish returning to the grand alliance, Manjhi said that RJD chief Lalu Yadav and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav had already called Nitish a ‘Palturam’ so it was difficult to say when he would again switch sides.
Manjhi said that his party was a small ally of NDA and it had not much of a big role in welcoming or opposing somebody joining NDA. He said that HAM would oppose if Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Shah wanted to bring Nitish back to the NDA.
Manjhi also took a different stand from NDA on the issue of RJD MP Manoj Jha allegedly making controversial remarks on the Thakur community by contending that Jha did not say anything wrong, nor did he comment on any particular caste.
