India, Oct. 18 -- Known to generations of students as the man behind their math books, 70-year-old professor K.C. Sinha stepped out of the classroom and onto the campaign trail on Wednesday, filing his nomination papers as the Jan Suraaj candidate from Patna's Kumhrar constituency for the upcoming Bihar election.

From 18 to 60, people across age groups bowed and showed respect to Sinha, the former acting vice-chancellor of Patna University who has authored around 70 mathematics books on algebra, calculus, trigonometry, vector geometry and set theory, as young Jan Suraaj volunteers on motorbikes announced his candidacy through a handheld microphone.

Born in Beur village of Kaimur district's Chainpur block, Sinha often dresses in a full-s...