PATNA: Former Bihar CM and HAM (S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi on Wednesday said his party is ready to contest the assembly election in West Bengal and civic election in Delhi. He expressed confidence that his party would do better in both elections.
Talking to the media persons after the HAM(S)’s national executive body meeting on Wednesday Manjhi said his party would hold a public meeting in West Bengal within a month and identify seats to contest. Manjhi, who recently recovered from Covid-19, said his party was focusing on strengthening party organisation in Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi and Jharkhand. It has set a target to enrol one lakh primary members and ten thousand life members in Bihar.
He said the party has demanded that the Centre introduce reservations in the judiciary where he alleged that Dalits don't get fair treatment and most verdicts go against them. The party chief lamented that reservation quantum was gradually going down in government jobs while demanding that quota should be introduced in the private sector.
The former CM expressed hope that 131 MPs belong to SC/ST and about 1,000 MLAs of different parties across the country would favour the demand of reservation in the judiciary his party has made. Manjhi urged PM Narendra Modi to intervene in the ongoing farmers’ agitation and take the lead in ending the standoff.
Manjhi also demanded the expansion of Bihar cabinet and said at least one more representative of his party should be inducted in the cabinet and that his party should also be considered during nomination to the legislative council. He was confident that cabinet expansion might take place after January 14.
The party’s national secretary-general and state minister Santosh Kumar Suman, spokesperson Danish Rizwan, MLAs Anil Kumar, Jyoti Devi and Prafull Manjhi were also present at the meeting.