Jitan Ram Manjhi’s camp is humming with activities. The former Chief Minister is all set to convert his apolitical front Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) into a full-fledged political party within a week or so and get it registered with the Election Commission of India.
However, there are differences in the camp over what should be the political line of action of the new party. While Manjhi has been publicly declaring that he would contest all the 243 Assembly seats, a section of his supporters has reservation and it favours pre-poll understanding with the BJP. At a marathon meeting recently consisting of rebel JD(U) leaders, Manjhi was authorised for the party formation and talks of alliance.
“We will have poll alliance with any party where Nitish Kumar and lalu Prasad will not exist,” said a senior Manjhi loyalist giving a broad hint that the HAM will ultimately have understanding with the BJP. “Our aim is to defeat the alliance of lalu and Nitish,” he added.
Manjhi has planned to visit at least one Assembly constituency is each of the 38 districts and hold rallies there to register the presence of the new party. He will be accompanied by senior leaders.
Party insiders said initially Manjhi was in favour of contesting all the seats as an alternative to the BJP-led NDA and the merged JD(U) and RJD but, he had to succumb to the pressure of the pro-BJP supporters. A number of such leaders had been weighing options to leave Manjhi camp and join the BJP and many of them also had held initial talks with the BJP leadership.
The HAM leaders, particularly the rebel JD(U) MlAs are more concerned about their electoral future. They know that JD(U) will not give them ticket and they also suspect that JD(U) candidates, even under a new umbrella, in the coming Assembly election will have little chance of winning or retaining their seats.
Sources close to the BJP leadership said the saffron party has expressed its inability to accommodate so many JD(U) deserters and award them with Assembly tickets. The best option, it was suggested, is to remain in the HAM and have electoral adjustment with the BJP. Some of the Manjhi supporters who are not very comfortable with his pro-BJP tilt have preferred to keep a distance from the HAM including two former Ministers Bhim Singh and Shahid Ali Khan who skipped the meeting called by Manjhi to chalk out their own strategies.
Manjhi is supposed to initiate formal alliance talks with the central BJP leadership once the HAM is registered as a political party. It will take about two months, said a HAM functionary. “If we have ties with the BJP it will be in the advantage of the saffron party because we have a solid vote bank of Dalits, upper caste and OBCs,” he claimed.