Congress grooming Kanhaiya Kumar to lead party in Bihar?

As the Congress started its ‘Palayan Roko Naukri Do’ (stop migration, provide jobs) Yatra from West Champaran, Bihar, with party’s youth leader Kanhaiya Kumar leading it, he is emerging as the party’s most saleable face in the state. As Kumar, who is also AICC in charge of the Congress’ students wing, the NSUI, has started the Yatra, with less than six months to go before the polls, he is seen as a trusted hand by the party’s high command.

The Congress appears, according to senior leaders, to be grooming Kanhaiya Kumar as its key leader in Bihar, a state where the party has struggled to maintain its relevance.

His connect with the youth, sharp rhetoric, and strong anti-BJP stance have made him a reliable choice for Congress, which lacks a charismatic regional face. A senior Congress leader said, "We have seen that recently he has become close to Rahul Gandhi and therefore was also told to contest the Delhi Lok Sabha elections."

Moreover, experts suggest that as a Bhumihar, Kanhaiya could also help the party tap into the forward-caste vote bank that has sided with the BJP.

However, his rise may not be without challenges. According to party insiders, the outgoing president of Bihar Akhilesh Prasad Singh was not happy with the new leadership. A senior leader said, "Now his political network within the party will feel left out. Also, the party seems to be in pursuit of giving the command to the young turks, therefore old guards feel that they may not be included in important organisational work."

Additionally, Congress remains a junior partner in the Mahagathbandhan, limiting Kanhaiya’s ability to assert himself as a major political force. An expert said, "The more Kanhaiya is visible, the more RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav will feel threatened. Such developments hint major changes to happen within the alliance."

But for now, the Congress betting Kanhaiya as a youth leader, to travel across the state, is aimed at getting the support of the upper castes, particularly the youth ahead of the elections. Also, his being an upper caste will complement Dalit MLA, Rajesh Kumar, whom the party picked up as its state president.