Former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi quits NDA to join RJD-led grand alliance

Patna: Former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi on Wednesday quit National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and joined Bihar's Rashtriya Janata Dal led Grand-Alliance.

The formal announcement of the new political alliance would be made on Thursday, Manjhi told media.

RJD leader and former deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav welcomed Manjhi to the party and said he has been an old friend of Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi.

The announcement was made after Manjhi met RJD chief Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi at her residence on Wednesday.

Manjhi on Sunday had demanded that his party be allotted a Rajya Sabha seat in the upcoming elections failing which the party will not support the BJP-led coalition in the next Lok Sabha poll and two Assembly by-polls.

"The NDA must announce at least one Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular (HAMS) leader among its candidates for the six Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar. If that does not happen, our party workers will not campaign for candidates of the coalition in the by-polls," Manjhi said. The Rajya Sabha election is slated for March 23.

Recently, the former chief minister had expressed a wish that his party be allowed to contest the by-poll from the Jehanabad Assembly seat, but withdrew the demand following an alleged cold response from the BJP.

The seat is now being contested by the JDU, which had initially announced that it would not contest any of the three seats going for by-polls.

(With inputs from PTI.)