Bihar Elections 2020: Big Jolt To RJD As HAM Snaps Ties With Mahagathbandhan; Likely To Join NDA

This could be a major setback for Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal ahead of the Bihar Assembly Elections which is scheduled to take place in the month of October-November.

Amit Shah with HAM (S) Chief Jitan Ram Manjhi and LJP President Ram Vilas Paswan. (File Photo/ Getty)

Patna: After a long-running tussle amid parties of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) has decided to call it an end with the grand alliance ahead of assembly election.  Going by the early reports, HAM's chief Jitan Manjhi held a meeting of the core committee of the party at his residence earlier today following which he announced to end ties with the Bihar Mahagathbandhan on Thursday. It can be recalled that Manjhi was constantly demanding to form a Coordination Committee in the Grand Alliance and had even given an ultimatum in this regard four times. He had reportedly been upset after his demand was not met. Now that the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) has snapped ties, the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar comprises Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). Though there are no confirmed reports, but claims are being made stating that after breaking ties with the grand alliance, Jitan Manjhi is likely to join National Democratic Alliance (NDA). This could be a major setback for Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal ahead of the elections to the legislative assembly of the state, which is scheduled to take place in the month of October-November. Earlier this year in June, five of RJD's Members of Legislative Council (MLC) had quit the party to join friend-turned-foe Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United. The RJD, which had 8 MLCs, is now left with only three MLCs after Radha Charan Shah, Sanjay Prasad, Dilip Rai, Md Kamar Alam, and Ranvijay Kumar Singh quit RJD.