PATNA, Sept. 10 -- Minor niggles have cropped up within the NDA camp ahead of the seat-sharing talks in Bihar in the keenly-awaited assembly polls scheduled for October-November. The NDA smaller alliance partners, LJP (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha-S (HAM-S), like every election, have started pressuring for a bigger pie of seats in the 243-member assembly. The other two parties of the alliance are the BJP and the JD(U). According to people aware of developments within NDA , discussions around the final seat-sharing arrangement are likely to take place over the coming week after the Vice-Presidential elections on September 9. HAM-S patron and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has openly placed his demand before the senior alliance partners. "If the constituent parties of the NDA have sympathy for us, then our demand will definitely be fulfilled," Jitan Ram Manjhi said, adding that HAM-S must be allotted at least 20 assembly seats in order to secure recognition as a full-fledged state party. His statement underlines the growing tug-of-war within the NDA over seat distribution, with each party keen to secure a stronger footing in the alliance ahead of the Assembly polls. "HAM-S position is strong within the NDA. Our importance must be recognised, and in stronghold constituencies, booth committees must be formed immediately," said Manjhi while addressing party workers during national convention in New Delhi recently and went on to say that "his party may contest like the 2015 elections if they do not get a respectable number of seats this time." Experts feel that Manjhi's statement was a sign of continuing strain in NDA. "Majhi's statement regarding his party - HAM-S, going solo in the polls is the latest example of the continuing strain. Manjhi had claimed that his party would go alone in the Bihar assembly polls if it did not get its due in the BJP-led NDA. Though it seems more of a pressure tactic," said professor Gyanendra Yadav, department of Sociology, College of Commerce. Manjhi, however, retracted the statement on Saturday last week contending that he had tried to enthuse party workers with the remarks. "The NDA constituents will abide by the decision taken from the 'top' and there is no problem in seat sharing in the ruling alliance. Such things are said to boost the party workers' morale, "he said....