Patna: Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM(S) Friday reignited its rivalry with the Lok Janshakti Party, warning it will field candidates against LJP if Ram Vilas Paswan’s party puts up nominees to take on the JD(U) in the Bihar assembly polls, reflecting the unease in the state’s ruling alliance.
The LJP, founded by Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, is a BJP ally but not part of the JD(U)-BJP coalition government in the state where assembly elections are due in October-November.
The party, now helmed by Paswan’s MP son Chirag, has often been critical of the Nitish Kumar government over a variety of issues ranging from alleged corruption in the public distribution system, to road construction and violation of prohibition laws.
There have been media reports that the LJP was unhappy over the return of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (secular) into the NDA fold and contempleting fielding candidates against JD (U) nominees.
Dalits, who roughly constitute around 16 per cent of the state’s voters, form the bedrock of support of both the LJP and HAM(S), and some amount of jostling between the two parties for greater share in the electoral pie appeared inevitable after Manjhi’s return. (PTI)
