Kanhaiya Kumar is latest member of ‘Left for Congress’ club
The Hindu
For many JNU student leaders, politics on campus is a stepping stone to a mainstream career. Joining the grand old party is often seen as a natural progression
Spending their campus life affiliated to Left-wing student organisations at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and then joining the Congress afterwards has been a trend seen across several decades among student leaders.
Kanhaiya Kumar, who was the president of the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) from 2015-16, representing the All India Students’ Federation (AISF), joined the Congress on Tuesday, making him the newest member of the club.
Others who have made the switch include Shakeel Ahmad Khan, national secretary of the Indian National Congress. He was the JNUSU president from 1992-93, representing the Students Federation of India (SFI). Syed Naseer Hussain, a Rajya Sabha member, was JNUSU president from 1999-2000, representing the SFI. Mohit Pandey, JNUSU president from 2016-17, representing the All India Students’ Association (AISA), is now working with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.