Jitan Ram Manjhi Faces a 'Do or Die' Election Scenario in Bihar

Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi emphasized the critical nature of the forthcoming assembly elections in Bihar for his Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), labeling it a 'do or die' situation. Speaking in Gaya, Manjhi highlighted the party's struggle for 'recognised party' status, despite ten years of formation.

HAM needs either to secure at least eight Vidhan Sabha seats or at least 6% of the total vote share to achieve this status, according to the 80-year-old leader. Manjhi elaborated on two potential approaches: contesting 15 seats as part of the NDA and achieving a 50% success rate, or fielding candidates across 50-100 seats to accumulate the necessary votes.

Despite having previously mentioned contesting all 243 seats, Manjhi later clarified that his statement was intended to boost party morale. HAM was founded in 2015 following Manjhi's separation from JD(U), amidst pressure from Nitish Kumar. Although Manjhi remains hesitant about HAM's electoral strategy, he expressed readiness to decide if authorized.

(With inputs from agencies.)