Speaking to the media, Gautam said, “My party asked me to file a nomination from Digha, and I did. Please ask my leaders about the seat-sharing.” She also mentioned that although she and her cousin Sushant Singh Rajput had different ideological beliefs, they shared the same cultural roots. “Ideologically we may have differed, but culturally we are bound by the same thread,” she said.
A former assistant professor of journalism at Patna Women’s College, Gautam earlier cleared the Bihar Public Service Commission exam but chose to dedicate herself to activism and theatre instead of joining government service. Her work spans women’s empowerment, youth rights, and social justice movements in Bihar and Delhi.
Her political journey began during her student days at Patna University when she contested the 2012 student union election as an AISA candidate. Reflecting on that experience, she said, “That election changed me as a person. Money, power, and negative mobilization influenced the result.”
Gautam emphasized that her focus as a CPI-ML candidate will be on issues such as women’s safety, youth employment, waterlogging, and traffic management in Digha. “Contractual jobs have eroded job and health security. The NDA government has done practically nothing for the youth in the last two decades,” she added.
As she steps into the electoral fray, Gautam symbolizes both the continuation of her family’s legacy and the emergence of a progressive Left voice in Bihar’s political landscape. Her campaign is expected to attract young and educated voters seeking change.
