Sharjeel Imam, the student leader and activist currently imprisoned since January 2020 under sedition and UAPA charges, is reportedly planning to contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections scheduled for October-November 2025.
Imam intends to run as an independent candidate from the Bahadurganj constituency in Kishanganj district. This seat is presently held by Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Mohammad Anzar Nayeemi. Sharjeel Imam hails from Kako village in Jehanabad district, Bihar.
Imam’s candidature is expected to attract significant national attention and controversy, especially given the political sensitivity of the Kishanganj region.
Sharjeel Imam, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student, was arrested during the nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Delhi Police allege that his speeches ignited protests at Jamia Millia Islamia University and contributed to tensions preceding the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. He has been booked in multiple cases related to these incidents.
Imam also took part in the Shaheen Bagh protest, a notable 100-day peaceful sit-in in New Delhi against the CAA. Despite facing multiple sedition and UAPA charges, he has obtained bail in six separate cases.
Writing from jail last year, Imam expressed that while he anticipated imprisonment for protesting, he did not expect to be branded a “terrorist,” especially since the riots occurred after his arrest. He accused the government of using severe measures to suppress dissent.
Sharjeel Imam is currently lodged in Guwahati Central Jail, Assam.
