Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s cousin, Divya Gautam is contesting Bihar assembly election from Digha constituency in Patna. She will fight the electoral battle on the symbol of Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation (CPI-ML Liberation).
The Digha seat will go to the polls in the first phase on November 6, and the results will be declared on November 14. The constituency she is contesting from, Digha, is one of Bihar’s most urban and politically charged seats.
While Sushant Singh Rajput is not linked to any of his campaigns, their connection has already made a buzz. She has, however, said that her late brother’s dedication and self-made success continue to inspire her for political and social work.
“We are proud of what he achieved through his own hard work. That’s the inspiration I carry forward in my own work,” she said, quoted Moneycontrol.
What things is Divya Gautam focusing on?
Divya has is a theatre artist, academic and a former student leader of the All India Students’ Association (AISA). She has been an active participant of Left cultural and social initiatives for over a decade. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Patna College, and a master’s in Women’s Studies from TISS, Hyderabad, Divya Gautam is currently pursuing a PhD on ‘Caste, Class and Masculinity in Bhojpuri Stardom’ at BITS Pilani, reported Moneycontrol.
In 2012, she contested the Patna University Students’ Union elections as AISA’s candidate for president and finished second. Later, she cleared the 64th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam and was allotted the post of Supply Inspector in the Bihar government. She did not join the service.
Her campaign, so far, has been on the ground-level, local issues like – drainage system, sanitation, health, education, and women’s rights.
“Urban women face daily struggles and cannot be influenced with token cash schemes,” she told reporters during a programme.
While heading to file her nomination, she had said, “The main issues are unemployment in Bihar, women’s safety, corruption, and ongoing violence. I will work on addressing these issues…”
Bihar elections 2025
Bihar will vote in two phases on Nov 6 and 11. Digha is a constituency with around four lakh voters across 400 booths. NDA has had a stronghold on the seat for over a decade. BJP’s Sanjeev Chaurasiya is the MLA from the seat since 2015, winning successive elections with significant margins.
But the fight this time is different. Divya has to wade through a multi-cornered contest against Chaurasiya and Ritesh Ranjan Singh (Bittu Singh) from Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party.
The CPI-ML Liberation is part of the opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance. It has fielded 20 candidates for the upcoming assembly polls, retaining all of its 12 sitting MLAs.