HAM never applied pressure for ministerial berth, says Manjhi

Patna, Nov 17 Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi clarified that his party has never exerted pressure for ministerial berths and always respects the decisions taken by the alliance leadership.

Manjhi said that, like before, HAM did not place any demand for ministerial posts this time.

“We only discussed MLA seats during the seat-sharing negotiation. There was some discomfort regarding this, but it was resolved. Now, the ministerial position is a subject that lies with the party in charge, so I will not comment on it publicly,” he told reporters in Patna.

Commenting on media reports about the likely distribution of portfolios in the new Nitish Kumar government, Manjhi said, “We have heard through various media organizations that 16 ministerial berths will go to the BJP, 15 to the JD(U), three to LJP-RV, and one each to HAM and the RLM in the upcoming government. However, we have not received any official communication about this.”

Manjhi credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the NDA’s landslide victory.

“Women from all sections voted overwhelmingly for the NDA. We were not expecting more than 160–170 seats, but due to the women’s strong participation, we reached 202. It was a historic win for us. The efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the women-centric welfare schemes implemented by Nitish Kumar made the difference,” he said.

Manjhi also launched a sharp attack on Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader’s comments damaged the Grand Alliance’s prospects.

He claimed LoP Gandhi made remarks that appeared to insult the Prime Minister’s mother, angering voters.

He further alleged that Rahul Gandhi purportedly calling Chhath a ‘drama’ during the campaign alienated several Opposition leaders and weakened the Grand Alliance’s position.

Referring to the HAMs performance in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, Manjhi stated that his party had established a strong presence within the NDA by winning five out of six seats.

He attributed the victory in Kutumba, Imamganj, Atri, Sikandra, and Barachatti to the party's strategy and strong public connection.

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