Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
As Bihar casts its votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, The Quint reached the state to speak to Begusarai's CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar about his journey from Jawaharlal Nehru University to politics and whether he will be able to turn the tide.
Kumar said that there should be a discussion over the main issues.
On being asked whether his entry into politics had strengthened the CPI in any way, Kumar said that he was trying to connect to the youth, which should help the party.
On Giriraj Singh's statement that "the election is between nationalism and anti-nationalism', Kumar told The Quint that the BJP was like an entertainment channel these days and that his battle in Begusarai was not only against Singh but also RJD's Tanveer Hasan.
Talking about how Hasan had gotten 3,70,000 votes in 2014, Kumar pointed out that PM Modi had gotten 31 percent of the vote then and said that there would be no 'Modi sarkar' this time.
On whether he would win the Bhumihar vote, Kumar said that his struggle was to save the Constitution and democracy.
Speaking about the CPI not being invited for the coalition with RJD-Congress, Kumar stated that that the anti-BJP vote should not have been divided, especially since the people of Begusarai were unhappy with the BJP.
However, Kumar also told The Quint that he did not feel that politics was a career option for him and that he wanted to teach.
(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.)