Patna: Denying rumours of leaving the Modi cabinet, Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) National President and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said he would stand by Prime Minister Narendra Modi “till death.”
Manjhi's clarification comes after he expressed disappointment during a meeting in Munger, Bihar, over HAM not getting seats from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) quota in the recent Jharkhand polls and the upcoming Delhi assembly elections.
“We have no displeasure. We may be poor, but not dishonest; as long as we are in NDA, we will remain in it,” he said.
However, Manjhi said it was a “situational comment” made due to a delay in the meeting as he was about to miss his flight. “I did not say this (leave the cabinet), but regarding the delay in the meeting in Munger, I said that you people are late, due to which I will miss my flight, and I will have to leave the cabinet," he posted on X.
कुछ वेब पोर्टल और समाचार चैनलों के द्वारा भ्रमक ख़बर प्रचारित/प्रसारित किया गया है कि “जीतन राम मांझी कैबिनेट से इस्तीफ़ा देंगे।”
— Jitan Ram Manjhi (@jitanrmanjhi) January 21, 2025
जबकि मैंने मुंगेर की सभा में हो रही देरी को लेकर कहा था कि “आप लोग लेट कर रहें हैं जिसके कारण मेरी फ्लाइट छूट जाएगी और मुझे कैबिनेट छोड़ना पड़ेगा”…
HAM's Seat Allocation Demands
The HAM chief stated that his party workers were demanding 40 seats in the upcoming Bihar elections and that this was not his demand. “There will be an NDA meeting; this matter will be discussed there. But I would like to say that we should get enough seats so that NDA benefits,” he said.
Manjhi cautioned that HAM workers should show their strength for the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025; otherwise, the party might be ignored.
Moreover, he said that HAM has been strengthening its presence in Bihar since 2015, starting with one seat in the 2020 Bihar assembly polls and going on to have one Union Minister, one MLC, and four MLAs.
Manjhi said the party was aiming to grab at least 20 seats in the upcoming elections to further strengthen HAM's influence.
Manjhi’s Controversial Statement
During an event in Munger, Manjhi questioned the NDA's decision over not being allocated seats in the recent Jharkhand and Delhi elections. He stated that HAM's presence and support should have been recognised.
“We did not get anything in Jharkhand, and we did not ask for it. We did not get anything in Delhi either. They say we did not ask for it, but is this justice? Do we not exist?” Manjhi asked.
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