The Grand Alliance in Bihar has got a shot in the ‘Left’ arm. The CPI is likely to field fiery student leader Kanhaiya Kumar from Bihar’s Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency during 2019 elections.
The Left, which has indicated that it was ready for a Grand Alliance in Bihar comprising the Congress, RJD, NCP, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM, CPI, CPM, CPI-ML and Sharad Yadav’s newly-floated Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD), has in principle given its approval for Kanhaiya to make his poll debut as the CPI candidate.
“Much like 2004, we are bringing all the Opposition parties, which are inimical to the BJP, under one roof. In Bihar, we have started the process of identifying the seats and candidates. Rahul ji has been constantly interacting with leaders like Tejashwi, Tariq Anwar and Sharad Yadav, who all have been helping strengthen the Grand Alliance in Bihar. As part of this pact, we may leave Begusarai for the CPI which, in all likelihood, will field ex-JNU leader Kanhaiya Kumar,” a senior Congress leader, preferring anonymity, told Deccan Herald here on Sunday.
The former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union, Kanhaiya, who shot into fame after he was slapped with sedition charges, has also written a book: ‘From Bihar to Tihar’.
Kanhaiya has his roots in Bihar’s Begusarai district as his mother Meena Devi is an anganwadi sevika (worker) in Begusarai, while his father Jayashankar Singh is a farmer. However, after being paralysed, Singh is now bed-ridden.
The CPI national council secretary KR Naraina, during his earlier visit to Patna, had indicated about Kanhaiya testing electoral waters from his hometown Begusarai.
“While talks are underway for most of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, the Grand Alliance is likely to field veteran MP and former Union Minister Tariq Anwar from Katihar as NCP candidate. A decision on Sharad Yadav’s candidature will be taken once his legal woes (as Rajya Sabha member) are over in the coming months,” said the source.
The Mahagatbandhan (as the Grand Alliance is called) has already decided on fielding two BJP MPs - Shatrughan Sinha and Kirti Azad - from Patna Sahib and Darbhanga constituency respectively as the Grand Alliance nominees.