Former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi exits BJP joins Grand Alliance

Patna, Feb 28: Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) on Wednesday night formally joined the Grand Alliance, hours after he announced its exit from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

"HAM-S has joined the Grand Alliance after the top leaders of the party took a decision to this effect," Manjhi told at a joint press conference here, addressed along with former Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.

Manjhi also attacked the NDA and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also JD-U president, over what he called "failure of law and order, prohibition policy and implementation of schemes for poor and marginalised".