Sharjeel Imam, a research scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Muslim community leader, currently jailed over protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), has announced his intention to contest the Bihar Assembly elections as an independent candidate from the Bahadurganj constituency in Kishanganj district.
Incarcerated since January 28, 2020, Imam faces multiple charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sedition and promoting hostility among religious or social groups. Authorities allege that his speeches during anti-CAA/NRC protests contributed to the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February 2020, which resulted in at least 53 fatalities and hundreds injured.
Despite securing bail in several cases, new charges have continued to delay his release. His bail application in one of the core UAPA cases—connected to the Delhi violence conspiracy—has been pending for nearly three years, with over 70 hearings in the Delhi High Court under multiple benches.
Imam is recognized as a central figure behind the Shaheen Bagh sit-in protest in late 2019, a landmark peaceful demonstration led largely by women in New Delhi. His writings and legal defense highlight that his prolonged confinement has drawn criticism from UN human rights experts, who argue that his arrest appears aimed at stifling political dissent.
The Bihar Assembly elections are expected to take place in October–November 2025, and if permitted, Imam’s candidature would mark a rare case of a jailed individual running for office from within prison. The current Bahadurganj MLA, Mohammad Anzar Nayeemi, originally won the seat in 2020 for AIMIM and has since aligned with the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
