Dhananjay (politician)
Dhananjay | |
|---|---|
| President of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union | |
| In office 2023–2024 | |
| Preceded by | Aishe Ghosh |
| Succeeded by | Nitish Kumar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | |
| Party | Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation |
| Education | B.A. – DU (2017) M.A. – AUD (2020) M.Phil. – JNU (2022) Ph.D. – JNU (pursuing) |
| Alma mater | Jawaharlal Nehru University |
Dhananjay is an Indian politician and student leader associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation. He served as president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) for the 2023–24 term, as the first Dalit student in nearly three decades to hold the position. In 2025, he entered active politics and contested the Bihar Legislative Assembly election from the Bhorey constituency in Gopalganj district as a candidate of the CPI(ML) Liberation.
Early life and education
Dhananjay hails from Bara village in the Guraru block of Gaya district, Bihar.[1]
His father is a retired cop and his mother is a homemaker.[2]
He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi in 2017 and a Master of Arts in 2020 from the Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi, and an M.Phil. in 2022 from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, where he is pursuing a PhD.[3]
Student politics
At JNU, Dhananjay became active with the All India Students' Association (AISA), the student wing of the CPI(ML) Liberation. He was elected as the president of the JNUSU in the 2023–24 election on the AISA-backed panel.[4][5]
He defeated Umesh Chandra Ajmeera of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad with a margin of 922 votes.[6]
His victory marked the return of a Dalit student leader to the post after nearly three decades.[7]
In 2026, he registered a complaint to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, against Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice Chancellor of JNU, accusing her of anti-Dalit and discriminative comments on a podcast.[8]
Political career
After completing his term at JNU, Dhananjay joined active politics with the CPI(ML) Liberation.[9]
The party nominated him to contest the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly election from the Bhorey Assembly constituency, a seat reserved for Scheduled Castes.[9][2]
See also
- Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union
- Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation
- All India Students’ Association
- Aishe Ghosh
References
- ^ "JNU को 1996 के बाद मिला पहला दलित छात्र अध्यक्ष, जानिए- धनंजय से जुड़ी खास बातें". NDTVIndia. Archived from the original on 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
- ^ a b Butani, Ashna (2025-10-29). "From a student leader to Bihar Assembly polls contestant, Dhananjay has come a long way". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
- ^ "Affidavit of Dhananjay – Bhorey constituency". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ "Who is Dhananjay, JNU student union's first Dalit president after 30 years". The Economic Times. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ Malik, Amir. "At JNU, student 'flame flickers' against India's Modi before election". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
- ^ "दलित पहचान और एबीवीपी की चुनौती पर क्या बोले जेएनयूएसयू अध्यक्ष धनंजय कुमार". BBC News हिंदी (in Hindi). 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
- ^ "Who is Dhananjay? JNUSU's first Dalit president in nearly 30 years". Hindustan Times. 29 March 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ सिंह, अजातिका (2026-02-25). "दिल्ली: JNU के पूर्व छात्रसंघ अध्यक्ष ने VC के खिलाफ आयोग में की शिकायत, पढ़ें पूरा मामला". ABP News (in Hindi). Retrieved 2026-03-01.
- ^ a b "Former JNU students union president Dhananjay to contest Bihar Assembly election". The Indian Express. 6 October 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2026.