Bihar Election: Deepa Manjhi Trails in Imamganj as NDA Ally HAM Faces Crucial Test

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The Bihar Assembly election 2025 has reached a critical juncture in Imamganj, a constituency once dominated by Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi. Early trends suggest his daughter-in-law Deepa Manjhi is trailing behind RJD candidate Ritu Priya Chaudhary, casting doubt on the party's stronghold in the region. In a closely contested multi-cornered fight involving Dr Ajeet Kumar from Jan Suraaj Party, Manjhi's HAM is currently leading in four seats, according to Election Commission trends. Jitan Ram Manjhi, a prominent figure in the Bihar election, has been a key ally of the BJP-led NDA government. As the Union Cabinet Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Manjhi's influence in the region has been a crucial factor in the election. With his party, HAM, contesting six seats in the state, including Imamganj, Manjhi hopes to secure recognition as a state party. To achieve this, HAM needs to win at least two seats and secure 6% of the total votes polled in the Bihar election. Manjhi's rise to prominence began in 2014 when he served as the chief minister of Bihar. However, his tenure was short-lived, and he later founded HAM in 2015. A veteran politician, Manjhi has held various positions, including state minister for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes welfare and minister in the RJD government from 1996 to 2005. With the Bihar election 2025 reaching its climax, Manjhi's HAM is under pressure to deliver, and the outcome in Imamganj will be a crucial test of the party's strength.