Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi recently announced that his party, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), is now with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and will fight together. Manjhi and HAM chief Santosh Suman had a positive meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah that lasted about 45 minutes in Delhi. This came two days after HAM withdrew its support to the Nitish Kumar-led government.
Ham has four MLAs in the Bihar Legislative Assembly’s 243-member body. Its decision to move from alliance with opposition parties to the NDA was a surprise. The decision coincided with the Pawar formula, which had been creating groundworks for opposition parties’ unity for the past several months. The June 23rd meeting of opposition parties in Patna will identify common issues as part of efforts to forge unity to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Manjhi and Santosh Suman stated that they will work together and fight for the oppressed, deprived and downtrodden. The decision may signal a trend in Bihar politics where small parties’ support could prove to be instrumental in securing a winning coalition. With the looming Lok Sabha elections, every vote counts, and the NDA is seeking to strengthen their position in Bihar.
The decision is significant, as the state has staged some of the most bitterly contested elections in the past years. The recent West Bengal elections demonstrated the importance of these smaller parties to center-left alliances. The decision comes as political leaders are seeking alliances to strengthen their positions ahead of national elections. The meeting between Manjhi, Santosh Suman, and Amit Shah is significant, as it could prove to be one of the keys to the BJP’s success in Bihar.
