Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday indicated that student union elections in colleges and universities across the state could be held next year, signalling a possible revival of campus polls that have remained suspended since the Trinamool Congress regime.
Speaking at an all-India conference of medical students organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), at the RG Kar Medical College here, Adhikari recalled his own political journey through campus politics and said student elections were necessary.
"Elections should be held. We are all products of student politics. I reached this position by delivering speeches between classes during college elections," he said.
The chief minister said he had discussed the issue with the ABVP's observer in-charge of the state, who had urged him to conduct the elections next year.
Quoting the observer, Adhikari said, "He told me, 'hold the elections next year. The voices of every ABVP activist and nationalists will be heard chanting Vande Mataram in every college and university."
Although the chief minister indicated a possible timeline for the polls, he did not announce a formal schedule or specify the modalities for conducting them.
Adhikari's statement came on a day the BJP swept the assembly bypolls, trouncing its rivals by a record margin in politically significant Nandigram and scoring a surprise victory in Muslim-majority Rejinagar, consolidating its position barely five months after ending the TMC's 15-year rule in the state.
Student union elections have remained suspended in the state for several years.
During the erstwhile Mamata Banerjee-led TMC regime, the state had cited difficulties in holding campus polls following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Calcutta High Court had also ordered the dissolution of college and university student unions, while union rooms were locked pursuant to court directions.
The question of restoring campus elections has resurfaced following the change of guard in the state.
Earlier, Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay had also hinted that student union polls could be held, indicating that the issue was under consideration by the new administration.
The proposed revival of campus elections could have wider political implications, given the role student organisations have historically played in shaping political leadership and mobilising support across Bengal's educational institutions.
For decades, campus politics in West Bengal was dominated first by the Left forces and, subsequently, by the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP).
But with the BJP's arrival at the state's power centre, the ABVP is now showing signs of emerging as a formidable force on campuses, seeking to expand its footprint in a space long controlled by its political rivals.
Adhikari also used the occasion to target ideological opponents, referring to what he described as "dimagi Naxals", slogans of "Azadi" and the political atmosphere at Jadavpur University.
He said the Centre was extending assistance worth Rs 1,000 crore to JU by supporting its development as a 'Centre of Excellence'.
In a sharply worded address, Adhikari invoked Syama Prasad Mookerjee's legacy and Kashmir, saying, "Listen carefully: Kashmir, where Syama Prasad Mookerjee died, belongs to us. Communists, dimagi Naxals and anti-national forces must be systematically eliminated."
His remarks underscored the ideological emphasis of the address, with the chief minister positioning nationalism as a central theme in his appeal to students.
The state government's next steps on campus elections, including a possible notification, eligibility criteria and the framework for conducting polls, are yet to be announced.
This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.