Sushant Singh Rajput's Cousin Divya Gautam Announced as CPI(ML) Liberation Candidate for Bihar Assembly Elections

Divya Gautam has been designated as the candidate for the Digha assembly constituency.

Patna:

The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation has announced late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's cousin, Divya Gautam, as their candidate for the forthcoming Bihar assembly elections.

Gautam, who has a background in theatre and previously led the All India Students' Association (AISA), will contest from the Digha assembly constituency. Her nomination filing is scheduled for Wednesday.

CPI (ML) Liberation is a member of Bihar's opposition coalition 'Mahagathbandhan', which also includes the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress party.

Divya Gautam's educational qualifications include a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication from Patna College, followed by a postgraduate degree in the same field.

Her professional experience spans academia, where she worked as an assistant professor at Patna Women's College, and government service as a supply inspector with the food and consumer protection department of the Bihar government.

Regarding the upcoming elections, the opposition alliance has yet to announce its complete seat-sharing arrangement, though smaller coalition partners have begun declaring candidates for constituencies they expect to receive.

Another Left coalition member, CPI(M), which currently holds two seats in the assembly, has announced that both its sitting MLAs, Ajay Kumar and Satyendra Yadav, will submit their nomination papers on October 14 and 18 respectively.

In contrast, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has already finalized its seat distribution formula.

Under this arrangement, the BJP will contest 101 of the total 243 seats, while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) has accepted a proportional allocation, abandoning its earlier demand for a larger share. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan, has been allocated 29 seats. Smaller coalition partners, including Rashtriya Lok Morcha led by Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha, have each received six seats.

The Bihar assembly elections will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11.