Insaaf Times Desk

The seat-sharing discussions within the NDA for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections have intensified. Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron Jitan Ram Manjhi has demanded 15–20 seats for his party. However, his son and HAM national president Santosh Kumar Suman has taken a different stance, emphasizing the party’s commitment to remaining with the NDA.

On Sunday, Jitan Ram Manjhi stated that if HAM is not allotted 15–20 seats within the NDA, the party is prepared to contest the elections independently. He stressed that winning at least seven seats is essential for the party to gain state-level recognition, which necessitates contesting more constituencies.

HAM national president Santosh Suman, meanwhile, affirmed the party’s strong alignment with NDA ideology, ruling out any alternative alliances. He added that while the party seeks more seats, these demands will be raised internally during NDA meetings rather than in the media.

LJP-Ram Vilas (LJP-RV) president Chirag Paswan accused the opposition of misleading voters regarding seat allocations and electoral issues. Meanwhile, differing statements from HAM’s leadership have added tension to NDA seat negotiations.

HAM aims to become a state-recognized party, which requires winning at least seven seats out of Bihar’s 243 assembly constituencies and securing six percent of the total votes. This is why the party is pushing to contest 15–20 seats.

Santosh Suman clarified that the party’s immediate priority is contesting the elections with the NDA. He said the final decisions regarding the number of seats and candidate nominations would be taken in the upcoming coalition meeting, and party workers will also be fielded in the electoral contest.

Political analysts suggest that the contrasting statements from father and son may be a strategy to strengthen HAM’s bargaining position within the NDA. In the 2020 assembly elections, HAM contested seven seats under the NDA banner, winning four of them.

The coming days will be crucial in determining NDA’s seat-sharing formula and HAM’s electoral strategy, which will significantly impact Bihar’s political landscape.