"Do-or-die situation for us": Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi "requests enough" seats from NDA for Bihar polls

Gaya (Bihar) [India], September 14 (ANI): Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha founder Jitan Ram Manjhi reiterated his request to contest 20 seats in the upcoming assembly elections under the National Democratic Alliance, stating it is a "do or die" situation for HAM if the NDA doesn't allocate enough seats to his party.
He mentioned that his party has not set any target, but they need to have enough seats to gain recognition in the Vidhan Sabha.
"We haven't set any such target yet. But it is true that it is a do-or-die situation for us... We will request the NDA to allocate enough seats so that our party gains recognition in the Vidhan Sabha," Manjhi told reporters.
On September 3, Jitan Ram Manjhi demanded 20 seats in the forthcoming Bihar assembly elections.

"The common people and our workers demand that we need such seats that will save our dignity. If the NDA has sympathy for us in their hearts to grant recognition to our party, they should give us at least 20 seats in the Bihar legislative assembly election," Manjhi, the former Chief Minister of Bihar, told ANI.
The Hindustani Awam Morcha is officially in alliance with the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Bihar elections are expected to be held in October or November; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced an official date.
While the NDA, comprising the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, aims to continue its tenure in Bihar, the INDIA bloc, comprising the RJD, Congress, and left parties, seeks to oust Nitish Kumar.
In the current Bihar Assembly of 243 members, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) consists of 131, with the BJP having 80 MLAs, JD(U)-45, HAM(S)-4, with the support of 2 Independent Candidates.
The Opposition's INDIA Bloc has a strength of 111 members with RJD leading with 77 MLAs, Congress-19, CPI(ML)-11, CPI(M)-2 and CPI-2. (ANI)