
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) election is underway as polling started at 9 am today and will continue till 5.30 pm, excluding break from 1 pm to 2.30 pm. The fierce contest between the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)and Left Unity witnessed campaigning on the theme of “performance and nationalism” and “inclusion, accessibility, and student welfare”, respectively.
ABVP has fielded Vikas Patel, while the Left Unity, which includes the All India Students' Association (AISA), Students' Federation of India (SFI), and Democratic Students' Federation (DSF), has nominated Aditi Mishra for president.
Angad Singh, Raj Ratan Rajoriya, Shinde Vijayalaxmi Vyankat Rao, Shirshava Indu and Vikash are other contenders for this post.
The ABVP has put forward Tanya Kumari for vice-president post, whereas Left Unity has fielded Kizhakoot Gopika Babu. Shaikh Shahnawaz Alam is another candidate fighting for this post.
For the general secretary position, Left Unity has Sunil Yadav as its candidate, while ABVP is fielding Rajeshwar Kant Dubey. Gopi Krishnan U, Preeti, Shuaib Khan are among the other candidates in the fray.
Danish Ali represents Left Unity, and Anuj is the candidate for ABVP for the joint secretary role. Kuldeep Ojha, Manmohan Mitruka, and Ravi Raj also face-off for this position.
According to the election committee, approximately 9,043 students are eligible to vote this year. Around 30 percent of nominations for the central panel and 25 percent for school councillor positions come from women candidates, according to PTI.
Left candidate Aditi Mishra, a PhD scholar from the School of International Studies, stated that the elections are taking place “at a time when dissent and equality are under threat” and pledged to protect “an inclusive JNU that remains accessible to all”. On the other hand, ABVP’s Vikas Patel, charged that the Left has been "ruling and ruining JNU for five decades," asserting that students now seek "accountability and solution-oriented politics."
Danish Ali, running for joint secretary from Left Unity, claimed that “Dalits and Muslims are facing continuous attacks across the country” and accused ABVP of introducing similar “divisive politics” on campus. At a student gathering, she mentioned, “We must stand against casteism and Islamophobia and defend democratic spaces in universities."
Meanwhile, ABVP stated that it had “strengthened its position” in JNU, while describing the Left alliance as being “in disarray".
The counting of votes will start at 9 pm. The results will be out on November 6.
In last year’s elections, AISA’s Nitish Kumar was elected president, while ABVP’s Vaibhav Meena won the joint secretary post, breaking a ten-year dry spell for the right-wing group and representing a “historic shift” in JNU campus politics.
(With inputs from PTI)
Catch all the Business News, Politics news,Breaking NewsEvents andLatest News Updates on Live Mint. Download TheMint News App to get Daily Market Updates.