Kanhaiya Kumar may enter poll fray from Begusarai

PATNA: Indications from the RJD-led mahagathbandhan camp are that former JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar could contest from the Begusarai parliamentary seat, which goes to polls on April 29.

RJD is tightlipped as the decision must pass party president Lalu Prasad before his younger son and leader of opposition Tejashwi makes it public.

But its partners in the mahagathbandhan hinted on Monday Kanhaiya would be the CPI candidate from Begusarai. The late Bhola Singh had won the seat in 2014 on a BJP ticket. Senior state CPI official Ram Naresh Pandey also said Kanhaiya would contest from Begusarai.

The mahagathbandhan is a seven-party formation of RJD, Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) led by former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) led by greenhorn Mukesh Sahani and Samajwadi Party.

“As far as we know, Kanhaiya will contest the Begusarai seat. Congress is agreeable to the idea and other partners should not also have a problem,” said an RLSP source. RLSP chief general secretary Satyanand Prasad Dangi said his party’s chief Upendra Kushwaha would leave for Delhi on Tuesday for the seat-sharing talks with Congress and RJD’s chief negotiator Tejashwi.

Congress and RLSP appeared to be favourably inclined towards Kanhaiya for contesting the Begusarai seat, which implicitly means Lalu and Tejashwi are also of the same view.