Strong resentment against BJP within Manjhi’s party 

Patna,(BiharTimes): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders may succeed in winning over former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi but there is strong resentment within the rank and file of Hindustani Awam Morcha.

As several senior politicians and former ministers like Narendra Singh, Brishen Patel, Shahid Ali Khan, Mahachandra Prasad Singh, Gyanendra Singh Gyanu etc have their own pocket of influence they are feeling seriously let down by the way the BJP is treating HAM.

“If alliance partners like LJP and RLSP, which have not a single MLA in the present Assembly are being offered 41 and 25 seats why is it that the BJP is giving only 15 seats to HAM, which had 15 MLAs. Unlike LJP and RLSP several HAM leadees can win election on their own strength,” goes the argument within the party.

Leaders like Narendra Singh have been winning election from their respective constituencies even in the adverse situation. He quit the Lalu Prasad ministry at the height of Mandal wave yet not only survived but later managed to ensure victories for his sons. Parties do not matter for him much.

In contrast the LJP and RLSP can not present a single leader who can win the Assembly election without the support of the BJP. Yet the BJP trusted Ram Vilas Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha more than Manjhi.

According to a political analyst the BJP is thinking that Jitan Ram Manjhi may end up transferring less Dalit votes than Ram Vilas. But why so much importance to Upendra Kushwaha? Secondly, Manjhi may not succeed in transferring much larger chunk of votes but some of his present legislators can still ensure victory of the NDA in their respective area of influence.

The murmuring within HAM now is that what have these leaders gained by revolting against Nitish Kumar. After all they were well settled and enjoying the ministerial facilities and would have continued to do so in the future. Now it is the time that they may not given ticket to contest election.

For example, Ram Vilas and his son Chirag Paswan have repeatedly said that they would not allow HAM to give ticket to Narendra Singh and his sons who, according to them, betrayed the LJP in 2005 and had joined the JD(U). 

HAM leaders are furious over this pressure, as, they argue, Ram Vilas had in this last 10 years joined hands with all those people who opposed him, including the BJP, then why so much personal grudlge against Narendra Singh alone?

Even if everything is sorted out the scenario withint the NDA is not very good. A large number of the ticket aspirants may be forced to contest election as rebels or on ticket of other parties.