Why Kanhaiya Kumar Is Not Contesting the Bihar Assembly Election: Team Effort Over Individual Ambition

Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar speaks at NDTV Bihar Power Play

Patna:

Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar explained why he is not contesting the Bihar assembly election, despite his rhetoric about bringing change to his state. While assembly elections offered the shortest path to serving Bihar's people, the former student leader has instead focused on national politics.

"I went to study there [Delhi], not to contest elections. If Patna University was very good, I wouldn't have left home and gone outside the state to study. But after joining a political party, I had to follow the party's instructions, and go wherever they deploy me," Kumar said at NDTV's Bihar Power Play in Patna.

Following his studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Kumar joined the Communist Party of India and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election against BJP's Giriraj Singh from Begusarai. He was unsuccessful in that race.

Five years later, he returned to electoral politics, this time on a Congress ticket from North East Delhi in the general election. That attempt was also unsuccessful.

"If the party says so, I can go to Andaman and Nicobar and contest elections there. The Lok Sabha election is a national one. It is a huge election. Wherever the party wants me to contest, I will go there. PM [Narendra] Modi was not born in Varanasi (his Lok Sabha constituency)," Kumar told NDTV.

The Congress leader cited "team work" as another reason for not contesting in Bihar.

"It's not a one-man army. It's a team effort. I'm playing only a part in the entire team work. I am not supposed to do everything myself... To the people of Bihar, I want to say that if you're happy with the government, then we have no right to demand your support. But if you are not happy with the ruling party, use your vote properly to bring change in Bihar," he said.

When questioned about why Congress isn't contesting more seats, unlike BJP which is contesting an equal number as its ally Janata Dal (United), Kumar suggested viewing the situation through the lens of intention.

"We are not bothered with how many seats we will contest. We have no intention of gobbling up regional parties and forcing a chief minister of our choice. The BJP will, however, give Nitish Kumar the same treatment they gave to Eknath Shinde. The only difference is that Shinde came to BJP first and Shiv Sena later, while here the JD(U) went first and Nitish Kumar will come later, to be made irrelevant," Kumar said.

While not directly addressing Congress's future in Bihar, Kumar acknowledged that sometimes national parties must collaborate with regional parties even when such partnerships aren't ideal.

"Increase or decrease in seats to contest is not the right way to look at this. What's important is to ask what we can do most effectively to develop Bihar. In some states there is a clear BJP vs Congress opposing frontline. But in some states in the heartland, regional parties cannot be wished away. Every national party has to come to terms with the fact that it will have to work with a regional party," he said.

On a lighter note, Kumar mentioned he has nothing personal against the BJP.

"The people in the BJP are also citizens of this country. They, too, will benefit from the progress the country makes. For example, Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi live in Delhi. But AQI above 1,000 affects both," he added, referring to the air quality index that measures pollution.

The people of Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11; counting will be on November 14.