PATNA: JNUSU’s former president Kanhaiya Kumar will contest upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha election from Bihar’s Begusarai constituency as a common nominee of Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) which comprises RJD, Congress, NCP, Jtan Ram Manjhi-led HAM(S), Loktantrik Janta Dal of Sharad Yadav and all Left parties.Sources said RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who virtually heads the grand alliance in Bihar, and Congress leadership have agreed to dispense Begusarai seat for Kanhaiya who shot into fame during the 2016 agitation in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).Though Kanhaiya will contest the election as official nominee of the CPM, he would be declared common candidate of the grand alliance to give a strong message in the rival NDA camp, sources close to Lalu Prasad’s family told TOI on Saturday.Kanhaiya is native of Bihat panchayat under Barauni block of Begusarai district . His mother Meena Devi is an anganwadi sewika (worker) in Begusarai, while his father Jayashankar Singh is a small farmer.Begusarai Lok Sabha seat is currently held by BJP MP Bhola Singh. BJP had won the seat for the first time in 2014 defeating RJD’s Tanveer Hassan by a margin of 58,000 votes. Bhola Singh bagged 4,28,227 votes while Hassan 3,69,892 votes. CPM candidate Rajendra Prasad Singh could secure third slot by getting 1,92,639 votes.As per the ‘sitting and second’ formula, Begusarai seat will ideally go in favour of the RJD during seat-sharing among the grand alliance partners. “But Lalu Ji is keenly interested that Kanhaiya contest from Begusarai. Hence, he is ready to sacrifice a seat from where the RJD came second best in the 2014 election,” a RJD senior leader said.CPM leader Satya Narayan Singh confirmed TOI that Kanhaiya would contest from Begusarai seat. “Kanhaiya too has given his consent to the party,” he said.Asked whether he was sure of getting Begusarai seat for Kanhaiya during the seat-sharing among the grand alliance partners, Singh said though still there was no formal talk among the grand alliance leaders on the issue of seat-sharing, Begusarai seat is confirmed for the JNUSU’s former president.“During an informal talk, Lalu Ji himself told us to offer Begusarai seat for Kanhaiya,” the CPM state secretary told TOI.