Kanahiya Kumar: The Man Who Has Seen It All From Bihar To Tihar

He's often on TV, answering questions on Mahatma Gandhi, secularism and democracy in India. And when he's away from studios, Kanhaiya Kumar is seen attending and addressing rallies alongside Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and other leaders. Over the last 10 years, he's emerged as one of the most vocal youth voices against the BJP-led Central government.

Who Is Kanhaiya Kumar?

1. Kanhaiya Kumar was born in January 1987 in Begusarai. His father, Jaishankar Singh, is bedridden, and his mother, Meena Devi, works as an anganwadi worker. His family has traditionally supported the Communist Party of India (CPI). Kanhaiya graduated in Geography from the College of Commerce, Arts and Science in Patna in 2007. He earned an MA in Sociology from Nalanda Open University and later completed a PhD in African Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 2019.
2. Kanhaiya began his political journey at the university level, joining the All India Students Federation (AISF), the student wing of the CPI. At JNU, he became actively involved in student politics and in September 2015 was elected president of the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU).
3. In February 2016, Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested by Delhi Police on charges of sedition over slogans raised during a JNU event. The controversy arose from a programme held on campus to discuss and protest the death penalty following the hanging of Afzal Guru, who had been convicted for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack.
4. Kanhaiya denied shouting anti-national slogans. His arrest led to protests by students, teachers, and academics across India. He was eventually acquitted as investigations found no evidence against him. On March 3, 2016, Kanhaiya delivered a speech at JNU talking about freedom within India. His autobiography, Bihar to Tihar: My Political Journey, was published later that year.
5. Kanhaiya Kumar was elected to the National Council of the Communist Party of India in April 2018 and later became a member of its National Executive Council. He contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Begusarai on a CPI ticket but lost to the BJP's Giriraj Singh. In 2021, he joined the Congress and was appointed National In-Charge of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and became a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he contested the North East Delhi seat but lost to BJP's Manoj Tiwari.