Sharjeel Imam, who was preparing to contest the Bihar Assembly elections 2025 as an independent candidate from the Bahadurganj constituency, announced from jail that he and his team will not be participating in the polls.
In a statement, Imam explained that the main reason for withdrawing was the rejection of his bail by the Delhi High Court on September 2, 2025. “Even though we immediately approached the Supreme Court on September 9, we did not get interim relief, and the matter has now been postponed to late October. We expected that I would be out on bail by the time of the elections,” he said.
Imam said that he and his team are not traditional politicians but carriers of a “new democratic message” focused on structural changes for marginalized communities. “As one of the few representatives of this emerging class of political actors, it is my duty to reach the masses and articulate our democratic message in the simplest terms. However, the state has put hurdles in our path, and I’ll be unable to campaign and mingle freely with my constituency,” he added.
He noted that despite anticipating these challenges, the severe restrictions faced by political prisoners made it impossible to conduct an effective campaign in just one month. Imam said their main focus remains spreading awareness about structural reforms such as decentralization, proportional representation in elections, reservation for minorities across caste groups, and religious autonomy. “We’ll keep working toward these goals and make sure those seeking votes address these fundamental issues,” he said.
Imam also expressed gratitude to his team, the people of Bahadurganj, and supporters across India. “Our message about structural change has resonated across the country. This is an achievement, and our efforts have not been in vain. We have learned valuable lessons over the last few months that will guide our future actions and elections,” he said.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has scheduled the Bihar Assembly elections in two phases, on November 6 and 11, with counting on November 14. The Bahadurganj seat, from which Imam intended to contest, will go to polls in the second phase on November 11.
Sharjeel Imam, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student, was arrested during nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Delhi Police allege that his speeches incited protests at Jamia Millia Islamia University and contributed to tensions preceding the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. He has faced multiple sedition and UAPA cases but has secured bail in six separate matters. Imam was also a participant in the Shaheen Bagh protest, a peaceful 100-day sit-in in New Delhi against the CAA.
