The polling for the much-awaited Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) concluded but the irrational ruling of the administration didn’t, opine students as the candidature of a left-wing student for the General Secretary post was cancelled a few hours before the student body elections. Therefore, the affected PhD scholar and student leader Swati Singh is on an indefinite strike from March 22 against the cancellation of her candidature.
“Today, I am on strike at the site where elections took place. It is Day Two of my indefinite hunger strike. The strike will continue until my demands are met,” a disappointed Swati told EdexLive.
Swati’s demands are:
1. Immediate convening of an all-organisation meeting by the JNUSU Election Committee (EC) to discuss the cancellation of the nomination
2. Cancellation of election for the post of General Secretary and announcement of re-election and re-nomination for the post of General Secretary, JNUSU
Although Swati’s other demand was not to begin the counting of votes before the JNUSU EC settles the matter, the votes have been counted. And it has been noted that this year’s voter turnout has been the highest at 73 per cent.
Candidature cancelled
Swati told EdexLive that she received a WhatsApp message in the early hours of March 22 which included the cancellation notice. According to the notice to which EdexLive has access, the JNUSU Election Committee said, “This is to inform you all that, as per the order of the GRC dated 21st March, 2024… the candidature of Ms Swati Singh, contesting for the post of general secretary in the Central Panel, stands cancelled.”
“I received a message around 2 am when I was sleeping. This decision of the committee is not acceptable as they haven’t given an exact reason for cancellation,” Swati said, adding that immediately after she saw the message, she submitted a letter to the election committee on the morning of March 22.
Swati’s letter to the committee
“The cancellation of my candidature is not only arbitrary and vindictive but also illegal and unjust. I had already submitted a letter to the JNUSU Election Committee today morning before the start of polling, seeking immediate announcement of re-election and re-nomination in the post of General Secretary. Unfortunately, the Election Committee has not responded to my request so far, which has created large-scale confusion among voters because my name appears on the ballot paper,” the letter read.
However, with no relief on the matter, Swati resorted to an indefinite strike from 2 pm on March 22.
During the polls, she claims that on several ballot papers her name was not mentioned while on a few, her name was struck off. “This created a lot of confusion among the voters,” she said, claiming that this type of cancellation, literally hours before the polling, has never happened in the history of JNU.
Arbitrary and illegal
Terming the cancellation illegal and arbitrary, Swati recalled the incidents which unfolded over the months. Swati was rusticated due to an incident in 2023. She had to face a legal battle to fight the alleged flase charges against her until the Delhi High Court quashed her rustication.
As reported earlier, according to the university, Swati Singh was rusticated on November 8, 2023. She was allegedly "found guilty of manhandling a lady security guard and misbehaving with the other security guards posted at the gate of Convention Centre, JNU on 29 August 2023."
