Kanhaiya Kumar joins Congress, Jignesh Mevani extends support

Former JNU Students' Union President Kanhaiya Kumar joined the Congress in the presence of party leader Rahul Gandhi at the party's headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday evening. Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani extended support to Kumar.

Kumar is a member of the CPI national executive, a top decision-making body of the party, while Mevani is an independent MLA from the Vadgam constituency in Gujarat and convener of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM). In the 2017 Gujarat Assembly election, the Congress party did not field its candidate against Mevani in the Vadgam constituency.

"We look forward to working with these young leaders, Kumar and Mevani, to defeat the fascist forces ruling this country. Kanhaiya Kumar is a symbol of the fight for freedom of expression in this country. He fought against fundamentalism as a student leader. The joining of kind of dynamic personality will fill the entire cadre of Congress with enthusiasm," said Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal.

"I could not join the Congress formally due to technical reasons. I am an independent MLA, if I join a party, I may not continue as an MLA. I am part of the Congress ideologically, will fight the upcoming Gujarat polls from Congress symbol. To save democracy and the idea of India, I have to be with a party that lead the Independence struggle and dragged the British out of the country. This is why I am here with the Congress today," said Mevani.

Kanhaiya Kumar has expelled himself from the CPI, the party's general secretary D Raja said on Tuesday moments after the former JNU leader quit the Left party and joined the Congress.

He alleged that Kumar was "not truthful" with the Communist Party of India (CPI) leadership and also not "straightforward" in his demands from the party.

"Kumar expelled himself from the party. He was not truthful to the party. The CPI existed long before Kanhaiya came into the party's fold and will continue to exist after his exit," Raja told PTI

Raja also questioned Kumar's faith in the Communist ideology.

"He must be having personal as well as political ambitions and aspirations. It shows he has no faith in the Communist ideology," the general secretary of the Communist Party of India said.

Kumar had joined the CPI ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election and had unsuccessfully contested from Begusarai in Bihar against Giriraj Singh of the BJP.