With a blowout speech that established him as a quality orator, Kanhaiya Kumar, 28-year-old Leftie student leader, may be playing in the big league soon. The CPI is considering whether to use Mr Kumar in its campaign for the elections that begin next month in Kerala, West Bengal and three other states. "I am not a neta (politican), I am a student," Mr Kumar said today, a claim that may be seen as somewhat coy.
"Our office is flooded with demands for Kanhaiya for various events all over the country," said D Raja, leader of the CPI, to NDTV, adding that the party will take a decision on whether and how to use Mr Kumar on Monday. The CPI's student wing in Kerala has organised an event where Mr Kumar will be the keynote speaker.
The Left can do with some of Mr Kumar's turbocharging. It has been banished to the margin in Bengal by Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress. In Kerala, the Left hopes to displace the Congress-led coalition government that finds itself knee-deep in a robust menu of corruption scandals.
'Freedom in India,' said JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar as hundreds cheered on Thursday (PTI photo)
"The Constitution of India is not a video that can be doctored," Mr Kumar quipped today in new evidence of his quotable-quotes skills.
Hundreds of students turned up to hear Kanhaiya Kumar speak on Thursday (PTI photo)
Leaders like Sitaram Yechury of the Left and KC Tyagi of the Janata Dal-United are planning to meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tomorrow to thank him for commissioning the inquiry that found Mr Kumar's speech had been spliced and diced to misrepresent his remarks. Mr Kejriwal himself tweeted a laundry list of the "azaadi" that his government wants - in particular from the alleged tyranny of the central government.
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