Former Jawaharlal Nehru University students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar will likely be contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the Begusarai seat in Bihar.
In an interview with Quint Hindi, Kanhaiya Kumar said, "We’re having an informal dialogue with the parties of the Mahagathbandhan. I am ready to contest from Bihar Begusarai. Whatever my party decides will happen."
Kanhaiya Kumar also added that they are already fighting against the government and will not be left behind when handing over responsibility on behalf of the party. RJD sources told Quint Hindi, "Kanhaiya is a good candidate. We are considering him as a potential candidate."
According to a report by The Times of India, while Kumar will contest on a Communist Party of India ticket, the grand alliance comprising the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Nationalist Congress Party, Loktantrik Janata Dal and Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular will support him.
According to the report, Tejashwi Yadav and the Congress have agreed to leave the Begusarai seat for Kumar.
The BJP won the seat for the first time in 2014 by defeating RJD’s Tanveer Hassan by a margin of 58,000 votes.
Lalu during an informal talk with us offered the Begusarai seat to Kanhaiya.Satya Narayan Singh, CPI state secretary to The Times of India
According to the report, both the Congress and RJD leaderships decided to vacate the seat for Kumar, a native of the Barauni block of Begusarai district.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)