Patna: Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), an ally of the BJP, today declared the names of 13 candidates for Bihar polls with majority of them going to big leaders of the fledgling party and their family members.
As per the seat sharing agreement of the NDA allies, the HAM would contest 20 seats.
Announcing the names of 13 candidates, HAM president Jitan Ram Manjhi said he would contest from his old seat Makhdumpur (reserved) in Jehanabad district.
Manjhi's son Santosh Kumar would be the party candidate from Kutumba (reserved seat) in Aurangabad district. His another son Devendra Kumar was expected to contest from Masaurhi (reserved seat) in Patna district.
HAM Bihar president Shakuni Chaudhary has been made a candidate from Tarapur in Munger. His son Rakesh Kumar would be the HAM nominee from Khagaria.
Shakuni Chaudhary's another son Rakesh Kumar alias Samrat Chaudhary, who was a minister in the Manjhi ministry, was a MLA from Parbatta in Khagaria district and was expected to get nomination from there.
Elsewhere, the HAM has nominated legislators who sided with Manjhi in his fight against his mentor Nitish Kumar. Former minister Brishen Patel would contest from his traditional seat Vaishali. Shahid Ali Khan has been made candidate from Sursand in Sitamarhi.
In Mahua in Vaishali district, HAM announced the name of Ravindra Rai, the sitting JD(U) MLA, whose membership was terminated for going against party.
Rai was expected to take on RJD president Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav on Mahua seat.
Former minister Ajit Kumar would enter into fray from Kanti, while Anil Kumar would contest his seat Tekari. Another JD(U) rebel Rahul Kumar has been made a candidate from Ghosi and Mahachandra Prasad Singh from Hathua in Gopalganj.
The HAM has named Rajeshwar Manjhi to take on minister Shyam Rajak at Phulwarisharif in Patna district and Naushad Alam from Darbhanga Rural (Grameen).
Jitan Ram Manjhi told reporters that candidates for the rest seven seats alloted to the party would be finalised by tonight and the names would be made public tomorrow.
The BJP has promised to accommodate five HAM candidates on its symbol. Former minister Nitish Mishra, two sons of senior leader Narendra Singh, rebel JD(U) MLA Raju Kumar Singh and former minister Binay Bihari were expected to be accommodated on the BJP symbol.
Among the candidates for the yet to be declared seven seats, it would be interesting to note if rebel JD(U) MLA Poonam Devi gets nomination from Digha seat, as the BJP has been showing interest to enter into the fray from this seat in Patna district.
