Mandate Bihar: How Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM and Upendra Kushwaha's RLM are propelling NDA's grand show

Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha

As leads start to solidify in Bihar, a clear trend that is emerging is the impressive strike rate of two smaller, but important constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) -- Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha of Upendra Kushwaha. According to trends at 10.30 am, HAM is leading on four seats whereas RLM is leading on two seats. A clear reading of the trend until now also indicates that both the smaller outfits are propelling the NDA's grand show -- which has crossed the 174 mark, according to multiple outlets. Both HAM and RLM has contested on six seats each.

Days after the NDA thrashed out a seat-sharing formula, both leaders were extremely vocal in expressing their dissatisfaction over the number of seats allotted to them and more so with the number of seats that were allotted to Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). The LJPRV was allotted 29 seats.

The NDA has five constituents — Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) (JDU), Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha, and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha of Upendra Kushwaha.

Once a confidant of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Jitan Ram Manjhi today leads his own party, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), which is a part of the ruling NDA. Belonging to the Musahar community, one of Bihar's Mahadalit groups, Manjhi has often spoken about his hardships, recalling how his community survived by eating rats during lean monsoon months. "Even I am a rat-eater," he once said in an interview.

Manjhi has frequently attracted controversy. In 2023, he said Ravan was more knowledgeable in rituals than Ram and called the Ramayana a work of fiction. This drew criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party and opposition leaders; he later apologised.

In the days leading up to the final phase of voting, in an exclusive interview with India Today amidst the final phase of the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha expresses strong confidence in the NDA's performance, dismissing the Mahagathbandhan's claims of victory. He also comments on the political impact of the recent Delhi car explosion on the election dynamics. When asked about the state's leadership, Kushwaha stated, 'Nitish Kumar Ji was the chief minister, Nitish Kumar Ji is the chief minister, Nitish Kumar Ji will remain the chief minister'.