Communist leader Kanhaiya Kumar joins Congress

"Congress party is a big ship. If it survives then I feel the youth of the nation will survive," Kumar said.

"I am hopeful that the Congress party will continue to fight for the rights of the people," he said.

Gujarat Dalit MLA Jignesh Mevani said he will fight the next election on Congress symbol.

The independent MLA clarified he has not joined Congress 'formally'.

"I have not joined Congress formally because I am an independent MLA. I will fight the next election on Congress symbol," said Jignesh Mevani.

The posters showing Congress welcoming the two young leaders were put up outside the grand old party's office here Tuesday morning.

Kanhaiya, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president, joined the Communist Party of India (CPI) ahead of the 2019 General Elections.

Though Kanhaiya had contested on a CPI ticket from his hometown Begusaraiin Bihar, he was defeated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Giriraj Singh.

The student leader was arrested after allegedly raising anti-India slogans during a JNU event in 2016.

Mevani, who is also a lawyer as well as a journalist, fought and won from Gujarat's Vadgam Assembly Constituency in 2017 as an Independent candidate.

Mevani's joining in the Congress camp is significant as the party is looking to give a push to the scheduled caste community ahead of the elections in a number of states including Gujarat due to be held next year.

The Congress has already replaced its Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh with Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi.