Kanhaiya Kumar Tells NDTV Why He's Not Fighting Bihar Election

Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar explained why he is not contesting the assembly election in Bihar, despite his constant rhetoric about bringing change in his state. While the assembly election presented the shortest route to working for the people of Bihar, the former student leader instead turned his focus toward 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 I joined 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.

After he finished studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), he joined the Communist Party of India and fought the 2019 Lok Sabha election against the BJP's Giriraj Singh from Begusarai. He lost that contest.

Five years later, he returned to fight the general election once more, this time on a Congress ticket from North East Delhi. He lost that one too.

"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 said "team work" is another reason why he is not a contestant in Bihar.

#NDTVPowerPlay। "पार्टी कहेगी तो हम अंडमान-निकोबार में जाकर चुनाव लड़ लेंगे"

NDTV पावरप्ले के मंच पर बोले कांग्रेस नेता कन्हैया कुमार #BiharElectionsWithNDTV | #KanhaiyaKumar | @sucherita_k | @PadmajaJoshi | @kanhaiyakumar pic.twitter.com/RU2RGksLDh

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) November 1, 2025

"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.

To a question about why the Congress is not contesting on more seats, unlike its national rival BJP which is contesting an equal number of seats as its regional ally Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), Kumar said the right way to look at it is from the context 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.

#NDTVPowerPlay। "सीटों की संख्या से कॉम्प्रोमाइज नहीं देखना चाहिए"

NDTV पावरप्ले के मंच पर बोले कांग्रेस नेता कन्हैया कुमार #BiharElectionsWithNDTV | @sucherita_k | @PadmajaJoshi | @kanhaiyakumar pic.twitter.com/4yeBTWKTJ4

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) November 1, 2025

While he did not directly address the question of the Congress's future in Bihar, Kumar said there are certain situations where a national party will have to work with a regional party even if it is not the most ideal partnership.

"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 vein, Kumar said 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 to measure pollution.

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