Patna, May 27: Sights set on the upcoming Assembly elections, former chief minister Jitam Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha today released the list of its functionaries.
Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM)'s state president Shakuni Choudhary released the list of the functionaries. Names of 14 vice-presidents, as many as 33 general secretaries, a treasurer-cum-spokesperson, five spokespersons, 32 secretaries, nine joint secretaries and 19 members of executive committee figured in it.
Choudhary released the list as Manjhi was away in Delhi. The former chief minister has sought an appointment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is likely to meet him tomorrow. BJP president Amit Shah dropped hinted earlier that his party's doors were open for new allies.
Choudhary, along with two former ministers Brishen Patel and Nitish Mishra, used the occasion to flay chief minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad.
"Nitish does not have any vote bank and he cannot contest elections on his own. People like him demoralise forces and cannot go into the battle. Nitish does not have his own army and from the past record one can easily make out that he has always been dependent on others. The way Lalu is supporting Nitish, a wrong message of he not being a leader of poor anymore has gone to the public," said Choudhary.
Former MP and senior leader Shivanand Tiwari today suggested Lalu to accept the leadership of Manjhi and contest the elections after projecting him as the chief ministerial candidate to win the trust of people.
Lambasting Nitish further, Choudhary said: "He has lost the faith of the poor and Dalits. He has proved that he is no one's man and can do anything to be in power. Nitish is arrogant and Lalu is the biggest corrupt."
He also said if Nitish did not implement the cabinet decisions of Manjhi, the people of the state would throw him out of the throne.
The HAM leaders did not rule out the possibility of shaking hands with the BJP. "If a party give us an offer, we will not reject it straight away. We will seriously consider it. But at present, no talks are on with the BJP. As we have said, HAM will contest all the 243 Assembly seats. We are making our preparations in that direction," said Patel.
Former chief minister Manjhi had announced earlier that his party would contest all the 243 seats .
Choudhary, Mishra and Patel today released a 12-digit toll free number 1800-3000-6606. One can become a member of HAM by giving a miss call on the number.
Mishra said HAM's application was pending before the Election Commission of India and the party would get registered with the poll panel soon. Thereafter, its symbol would be finalised.
