The firebrand student leader Kanhaiya Kumar will be the CPI’s candidate from Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar state for the upcoming general election. The decision was taken by the Left on Saturday.
This marks the political entry of the former president of the JNU students union. He will be facing Giriraj Singh from the BJP who is known for his controversial remarks.
Kumar has been campaigning in Begusarai for nearly a year now, said, “I am fighting against Giriraj Singh and his fundamentalist thinking. When there were talks of Giriraj Singh contesting from Begusarai, I made it a point to stay put in Begusarai to ensure there is no religious frenzy here.”
Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh in 2014 contested from Nawada Lok Sabha Constituency and won with over 1,40,000 votes against the RJD candidate. This time the BJP has decided him to contest from Begusarai.
Who is Giriraj Singh?
Known for his controversial statements, he has been in a headline very often. In April 2016, he kicked up a controversy with his remark stating that the population should be controlled by ensuring that people of all religions have the same number of children in the family.
In October 2016, he stirred up a controversy urging Hindus to produce more children. Again on 4 November 2016, he stressed that the Hindus in India need to increase their population in the country.
In November 2017, he said that Muslims living in India are children of Ram and in October 2018, clearly referring to Muslim community he said that one particular community is responsible for increasing the population of the country and that is curbing the nation’s development. He claimed that the particular community has “sworn” to continue doing it to get a majority.
Earlier hitting a new low, he attacked Sonai Gandhi with his poor remarks and said he wondered if Congress would have accepted Sonia Gandhi’s leadership if she was not white-skinned. He had also courted controversies with remarks during Lok Sabha elections that people who oppose Narendra Modi can go to Pakistan.
Who is Kanaiya Kumar?
Dr Kanhaiya Kumar is a former President of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union. He is also a leader of the All India Students Federation (AISF), a left-wing students organization which is considered to be close to the Communist Party of India (CPI).
While at the College of Commerce, he began his involvement in student politics. After completing his post graduation with an MA in sociology from Nalanda Open University in Patna, again securing a first class, Kanhaiya Kumar moved to Delhi and after ranking first in the JNU entrance exam in 2011.
Later he joined JNU where he is pursuing a PhD in African studies at the School of International Studies. He completed his PhD in February 2019, titled “‘The Process of De-colonisation and Social Transformation in South Africa, 1994-2015.”
In 2015 September, he became the first AISF member to become president of the JNU students’ union, defeating the AISA (All India Students Association), ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad), SFI (Students’ Federation of India) and NSUI (National Students’ Union of India) candidates.
He can be a good asset for Indian politics considering his wisdom and understanding of Politics.
Begusarai Lok Sabha Seat
In 2014, Tanvir Hasan, an RJD candidate lost to BJP’s Giriraj Singh by a margin of 60,000 votes and in 2009, Janata Dal-United candidate Monazir Hasan won this seat with a margin of 40,000 votes.
Kanhaiya Kumar has less chances of standing up to the BJP’s candidate Giriraj Singh as Kanhaiya’s Bhumihar caste may be more inclined to back Giriraj Singh, says the RJD Sources.
Kumar as a new contestant might face a problem since as he is taking on BJP’s sitting MP Giriraj Singh and runner up of last elections from RJD, Tanveer Hassan. If Congress-RJD pulls out its candidate Tanvir Hasan, then it will ease Kanaiya Kumar’s victory.
Bihar, which has 40 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in seven phases starting from April 11 to May 19. The results will be declared on May 23.
Kanhaiya Kumar with a high calibre can be the voice of weaker sections like Dalits and Muslims and can represent them in a better way. He is a man who speaks fearlessly and wants to create a country full of peace, free of casteism, poverty-free, corruption free, and of course development.
On the other hand, Tanvir Hasan who lost the 2014 election from the same seat should be withdrawn by the RJD to give Kumar a chance to win. Its an appeal to RJD-Congress to withdraw Tanvir Hasan from Begusarai Lok Sabha seat to facilitate Kumar’s win.
