New Delhi: Communist leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Tuesday joined the Congress and started a new innings in his political career.
"Congress party is a big ship. If it survives then I feel the youth of the nation will survive," Kumar said.
"I am hopeful that the Congress party will continue to fight for the rights of the people," he said.
Gujarat Dalit MLA Jignesh Mevani said he will fight the next election on Congress symbol.
Shri @kanhaiyakumar & Shri @jigneshmevani80 join the Congress party in the presence of Shri @RahulGandhi. pic.twitter.com/ceJMXJPs8P
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 28, 2021
The independent MLA clarified he has not joined Congress 'formally'.
"I have not joined Congress formally because I am an independent MLA. I will fight the next election on Congress symbol," said Jignesh Mevani.
The posters showing Congress welcoming the two young leaders were put up outside the grand old party's office here Tuesday morning.
LIVE: Special Press Conference by Shri @kcvenugopalmp, Shri @rssurjewala and Shri @BHAKTACHARANDAS at the AICC HQ. https://t.co/cwYVpZXvRH
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 28, 2021
Kanhaiya, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president, joined the Communist Party of India (CPI) ahead of the 2019 General Elections.
Though Kanhaiya had contested on a CPI ticket from his hometown Begusaraiin Bihar, he was defeated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Giriraj Singh.
The student leader was arrested after allegedly raising anti-India slogans during a JNU event in 2016.
Mevani, who is also a lawyer as well as a journalist, fought and won from Gujarat's Vadgam Assembly Constituency in 2017 as an Independent candidate.
Mevani's joining in the Congress camp is significant as the party is looking to give a push to the scheduled caste community ahead of the elections in a number of states including Gujarat due to be held next year.
The Congress has already replaced its Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh with Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.