The search for a young, aggressive face and a generational shift in the Congress in sync with Rahul Gandhi’s desire has taken the grand old party to the doors of former Jawaharlal Nehru University president Kanhaiya Kumar. Sources confirm that the Communist Party of India leader has a rapport with the Gandhis and he has been in touch with them. But the final decision on whether and when he will join the Congress will be taken soon.
Kanhaiya contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Begusarai in Bihar against Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart Giriraj Singh but lost. However, Kanhaiya with his aggression captured eyeballs and the attention of the Gandhis, especially Rahul Gandhi.
Sources say that there have been at least two meetings directly with the Gandhis and several with other Congress leaders such as state incharge Bhakta Charan Das, organisation general secretary KC Venugopal, as well as Gujarat legislator Jignesh Mevani who is backed by the party.
What is it that Kanhaiya Kumar can bring to the table for the Congress? A source in Rahul Gandhi’s office told News18.com, ”He’s a good guy. Will be great,” when asked whether Kanhaiya is joining the Congress. The Congress is in dire need of young, bold and aggressive faces, especially with regional outfits like the Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress pushing forward with their expansion plans, often at the cost of the grand old party. Also, Kanhaiya comes from Bihar, a state where the Congress is almost non-existent, and he belongs to a humble background. The latter, the Congress, feels can negate the entitled dynastic tag often attached to it.
But some in the Congress have reservations about Kanhaiya Kumar. Firstly, he was arrested in 2016 on sedition charges for allegedly shouting “Azadi” slogans after the hanging of terror convict Afzal Guru. Some within the party fear that with the nationalistic tag being attached to the BJP, and the Congress being on the backfoot on this, roping in Kanhaiya could reignite this narrative. Also, many complain that the Congress looks more like an NGO, Left-leaning party rather than being as aggressive as AAP, TMC, or BJP.
But, as top Congress sources told News18.com, “It’s the decision of the Gandhis. If they want him, we will accept him and fall in line.” With neither the Rashtriya Janata Dal nor Communist Party of India (Marxist) keen on having Kanhaiya Kumar, the Congress could offer the former JNU president a platform to find space in national politics. And Rahul Gandhi could get in him what he has been looking for.
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