Economist Prasenjit Bose, previously a strategist for the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and expelled from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), has joined the Indian National Congress. This move aligns with an observed trend of former Communist student leaders, particularly from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), transitioning to the Congress party.
Several notable individuals are cited as having made similar shifts, including D.P. Tripathi, a former SFI leader and JNUSU president (1975–76) who later joined Congress before the Nationalist Congress Party. Hussain, JNUSU president (1999–2000) from SFI, also joined Congress and currently serves as a Rajya Sabha MP. Kanhaiya Kumar, JNUSU president (2015–16) from the CPI-backed All India Students’ Federation (AISF), similarly switched to the Congress.
Additionally, three former presidents from the CPI(ML)L-backed All India Students’ Association (AISA) – Sandeep Singh (2007–08), Akbar Chaudhary (2013–14), and Mohit Pandey (2016–17) – subsequently affiliated with the Congress. This pattern of recruitment has reportedly generated some discussion within the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the Congress’s own student wing. It is also noted that not all Left-affiliated leaders from JNU have undergone similar political shifts.
Source: indianexpress.com