Jitan Manjhi quits NDA

Former Chief Minister of Bihar and Hindustani Awami Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) president Jitan Ram Manjhi quit the National Democratic Alliance. He will join the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Grand Alliance in Bihar. This move could be a major setback to the ruling coalition in the state ahead of a bypoll and Rajya Sabha elections. There have been strains between HAM-S and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ever since chief minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) quit the Grand Alliance to join the NDA last year. The development is likely to impact the political dynamics in Bihar ahead of national polls next year and assembly elections in 2020.