We want an NDA win in Bihar, says Manjhi

Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday said that he wants the NDA to win in the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls.

"We want an NDA victory and a win in 185 seats. It will be our priority to select the winning candidates. From the beginning, we have never talked of seats. We have given unconditional support to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah," Manjhi told ANI.

"I think if NDA, which is popular among the poor, is given more seats, then its candidates will win in large numbers. I am very much thankful to Amit Shah," he added.

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan said he is very satisfied with the seat-sharing deal.

"We want NDA Government to win and Nitish Kumar's grand alliance should not be there. It will be our aim to make the candidates win for NDA. Chirag Paswan will be the prime campaigner for LJP," Paswan told the media here.

BJP chief Amit Shah earlier today, announced that his party would contest on 160 seats while Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) would fight on 20 seats, thereby bringing an end to the ongoing tussle over seat-sharing.

Shah further announced that the LJP would contest on 40 seats and the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) would fight on 23 seats.

Polls for the 243-member Bihar Assembly will be held in five phases starting on October 12 and ending on November 5. Counting of votes will take place on November 8.