Besides JNU‘s former president Kanhaiya Kumar, former president Shakeel Ahmed Khan also set to contest elections this time.
People thought of Kanhaiya Kumar as the only JNU SU President contesting the 2019 general elections. But besides him Shakeel Ahmed Khan, former JNU President (1992-93) and Congress’ MLA from Kadwa, Katihar of Bihar is also contesting the elections this time. At the university level Khan contested as a leftist candidate but soon emerged to be a supporter of the Congress party when he moved out of the university.
“JNU did shape my interest in politics which ultimately became my career for the rest of my life. I will not be dishonest to say that the move to join Congress was not opportunistic but it was almost two decades back, the political atmosphere of the country was different. Making a political career with the grand old party was in my mind but I have stuck to the party I joined despite all odds,” khan as told to PTI.
“I did not switch my party in an opportunist move. Despite contributing a lot for the Congress, I was humiliated by party leaders and hence I took the decision. I started very young with NSUI which was almost negligible in JNU campus and still continues to be that way” (as told to PTI).
Kanhaiya Kumar is contesting from Bihar’s Begusarai as a CPI candidate against his rival Giriraj Singh in the general elections.