No one likes to talk about slums — or the people who live in them. But for Divya Gautam, the CPI(M-L) Liberation leader and Mahagathbandhan candidate contesting for the Digha assembly constituency in the Bihar elections, slums are the talking point, and slum dwellers — long ignored and systematically neglected — thus become visible and valuable citizens.
For 34-year-old Gautam, who began her political journey through student activism, politics is not a means to grab power but a tool to usher change into the common people’s lives.
“Politics changes us — so we should change politics,” she told National Herald, chatting while campaigning through the narrow lanes of Anisabad in Patna, surrounded by comrades and young volunteers.
Unlike many politicians, Gautam walks on foot to meet people. Her team — made up of students and student activists — travels alongside her on battery rickshaws, bikes and even bicycles. There are no grand slogans, expensive rallies or orchestrated social media blitzes. Instead, she talks about everyday issues — inflation, education and employment.
A group of student activists from Delhi University and Jawahar Lal Nehru University has joined her campaign. Raising the slogan “Ek hi nara, teen tara” — a reference to the three-starred red flag of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation, some students from Karnataka are distributing pamphlets in her support to passersby.
“My campaign is run by people. We don’t have big funders or PR teams — that’s not our way,” Gautam, who is a professor at Patna University said.
All eyes on Bihar: Shah, Rahul, and other national leaders set for poll campaign rallies“Poor, women and common people feel excluded from politics. Many think it’s only for bahubalis [stalwarts, those already wielding sociopolitical power] — but that’s just a tactic to keep the people out of politics,” she said.
During a tea break in Anisabad, surrounded by mobile shops, a stationery stall and a small mazar (whose walls are adorned with the images of Hindu deities), Gautam addressed a small crowd, urging them to vote for change.
After visiting the mazar, she sat down on the ground. A group of women who had come to offer prayers started chatting with her. “She doesn’t behave like a politician. She’s like our daughter,” one of them said.
Her simplicity and girl-next-door image have clearly struck a chord. “We want to build a society where everyone — Hindu, Muslim, believer and non-believer — can live together in harmony,” Gautam said.
As her group prepared to move to the next stop — Raghotola, an urban village across the road — a few RJD workers joined them, adding strength to the small but spirited team, the allies in the INDIA bloc visibly supporting each other in practice and not just in spoken pledges.
Gautam’s low-key campaigning has drawn national attention, meanwhile — a testament to its success. Progressive groups across India have rallied behind her. Kerala’s civil society issued a statement supporting her candidature. Veteran activists such as Tushar Gandhi and Dr Sunilam (aka phyicist Sunil Mishra) have campaigned for her, and Yogendra Yadav is expected to address a rally in her support.
Still, her battle in Digha is seen by political observers as a David vs Goliath contest. She faces the combined might of the BJP and JDU, bolstered by money, muscle power and media domination. Her opponent, BJP’s Sanjiv Chaurasia, is a two-time MLA and a well-entrenched local politician in the constituency. Despite the risk of anti-incumbency, the saffron party has bet on him.
The Jan Suraaj Party has fielded Bittu Singh, an upper-caste candidate, making Gautam's fight triangular. Bittu could play the spoiler for this party, many in the constituency believe. The party lacks organisation and relies mostly on Prashant Kishor’s image and paid volunteers, but it may act as a disrupter in these closely contested elections.
Prashant Kishor listed as voter in both Bihar, BengalThe Digha assembly constituency, created in 2008 after delimitation, was first won by the JDU in 2010, but since then, the BJP has maintained its hold.
In this scenario, support from the RJD will be crucial for Gautam’s fight against the BJP’s formidable machinery. As the election heats up, her people-to-people campaign is gaining ground — and dominating conversations.
If Gautam manages to unseat Sanjiv Chaurasia, she won’t just win a constituency. She’ll be remembered as the giant killer from Digha — the young leader who brought Bihar’s forgotten modest yet powerful pro-people progressive politics into the political spotlight.
