Jitan Ram Manjhi reiterated the demand for a Rajya Sabha seat, saying the promise made by Amit Shah has not been fulfilled.
Photo Credit: Social Media.
Patna, December 25, 2025: Union MSME minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron Jitan Ram Manjhi on Thursday once again reiterated his demand for one Rajya Sabha seat for his party, stating that the commitment made to HAM by senior NDA leadership had not been fulfilled.
Speaking to the media while attending a private function in Jehanabad, Manjhi said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier assured his party of two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had promised that our party would be given two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat. That is why I advised my son Santosh Suman to demand a Rajya Sabha seat,” Manjhi said.
Jitan Ram Manjhi claimed his party was underestimated by the NDA leadership:
Jitan Ram Manjhi expressed dissatisfaction over what he termed the underestimation of his party within the NDA.
“The promise made to us has not been fulfilled. If such promises are broken, I will not remain silent,” he warned.
Referring to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Manjhi said HAM was given only one seat, which he accepted in the spirit of the alliance discipline.
“As a disciplined soldier of the NDA, I accepted one seat. After winning, I was also made a Union Minister. For this, I am grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
However, Jitan Ram Manjhi asserted that the Rajya Sabha seat remains due to his party as per the earlier assurance.
Manjhi said he had repeatedly advised his son and Bihar minister Santosh Kumar Suman to stand firm on the party’s demand.
“I gave him the same advice earlier in Gaya, and I am reiterating it now. He should demand our rightful claim,” he said.
It may be noted that five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar will fall vacant on April 9, 2026.
These include two seats of JDU, two seats of RJD and one seat held by Upendra Kushwaha. Manjhi has staked a claim to one of these seats on behalf of HAM.
Dig at Upendra Kushwaha:
Taking a swipe at Upendra Kushwaha, Jitan Ram Manjhi reacted sharply to remarks made by the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief.
“He himself became an MP, made his wife an MLA, and his son a minister, and now he is giving me advice,” Manjhi said.
Jitan Ram Manjhi clarified that the demand was not personal but politically essential for HAM’s growth.
“Our party is still an independent entity. We want to establish ourselves as a strong, registered political party. For that, both seats and votes are necessary. That is why we are making this demand,” he said.
Despite raising the issue forcefully, Manjhi emphasized that his faith in the NDA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains unwavering.
EOM.