After a long break of four years, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) elections have resumed, commencing today, Friday, March 22, with over 7,700 registered voters expected to participate in the voting process, stated a PTI report.
Details of the PollPolling for the first phase has already started and will continue until 1 pm. Polling for the second phase is scheduled to take place from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm. The counting of votes will begin at 9 pm, and the results will be announced on Sunday, March 24.
To ease the voting process, a total of 17 polling booths have been set up across different Centres of Studies for voters. Additionally, a special arrangement of a digital voting system has been made for visually impaired students.
The voting process is being conducted with the help of a secret ballot system, which is being conducted separately for both the JNUSU central panel office bearers and councillor candidates.
In the poll, 19 contenders are competing for positions on the JNUSU central panel, and 42 candidates are contending for school councillor positions, including eight contenders vying for the esteemed role of president, according to a PTI report.
Who are the contenders?
The candidates are running for the positions namely president, vice-president, joint secretary and general secretary.
1) The United Left body, which includes the All India Students' Association (AISA), Democratic Students' Federation (DSF), Students' Federation of India (SFI), and the All India Students' Federation (AISF), has nominated Dhananjay for the position of President, Avijit Ghosh for Vice-President, and Mohammad Sajid for Joint Secretary.
However, the nomination of Swati Singh for General Secretary from the Left panel was cancelled by the Election Committee late at night yesterday, March 21, following a challenge raised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
The Left's presidential candidate Dhananjay hails from Gaya, Bihar, and stands as the potential first Dalit president from the Left after Batti Lal Bairwa in 1996-67.
2) The right-wing RSS-affiliated ABVP has nominated Umesh Chandra Ajmeera for President, Deepika Sharma for Vice-President, Arjun Anand for Secretary, and Govind Dangi for Joint Secretary.
Ajmeera's candidacy is notable due to his background as a victim of Naxalite attacks, having tragically lost both parents in such incidents.
3) Representing the Congress's student outfit, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), Junaid Raza is vying for the position of President, while Farheen Zaidi is contesting for General Secretary.
4) Meanwhile, Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association's (BAPSA) candidates for the Central Panel include Biswajit Minji for President, MD Anas A for Vice-President, Priyanshi Arya for Joint Secretary, and Rupak Kumar Singh for General Secretary.
Minji, running for the President hails from an Adivasi community in West Bengal and finds inspiration in his parents' challenges as contractual labourers.
He claims that if elected, he would be the first Adivasi presidential candidate.
5) From the Samajwadi Chatra Sabha, the only female candidate running for the position of President hails from Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh. She aims to challenge patriarchy and advocate for the marginalised communities on campus, further wanting to become their representative voice.
