HAM Bihar chief quits party

Hindustani Awam Morcha's (HAM) Bihar chief Birshen Patel quit the party on Wednesday following differences with party President Jitan Ram Manjhi but said he remained with the Grand Alliance. After resigning, Patel expressed his displeasure over Manjhi's stand over the Centre-West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee row.

HAM is the only opposition party that did not support Banerjee's protest in Kolkata. "At a time when all parties have supported Mamata Banerjee, Manjhi stated that she should not have staged a dharna against the CBI. It was not the right statement," Patel said.

Patel, a former Minister, also questioned Manjhi's reported statement that HAM would attend BJP-led NDA's rally in Patna on March 3 if the BJP accepted its demands. Patel, however, made it clear that he remained with the Grand Alliance.

According to sources in HAM, the party is on the verge of a split with several leaders set to resign. HAM formally joined the Grand Alliance in February 2018, hours after its exit from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The Grand Alliance in Bihar includes the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, HAM, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) and Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) of Mukesh Shahni. It also has the backing of Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD).