Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has written to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the chancellor of Panjab University, seeking early elections to the varsity's senate.
Singh said the "inexplicable delay in polling was causing resentment among various constituents of the institution." The university senate's term ended on October 31.
Citing improvement in the state's COVID situation, Singh urged Naidu to advise the university and the city administrations for proper and timely conduct of the elections.
"There is a substantial resentment amongst the teachers, professionals, technical members, graduates of the university and representatives of various constituencies for the senate elections," he wrote, as per an official statement.
Noting that the university administration and the Centre felt that the situation was not conducive to hold the elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the chief minister said the situation has improved and elections to Parliament, legislative assemblies and various other urban and rural local bodies have been held across the nation.
"True, there is a need to ensure compliance of the protocol that has been evolved in the last few months to contain the pandemic and there should be no reason for the university administration and even the Chandigarh administration or the state government to not comply with these," he added.
The chief minister pointed out that ever since the university was set up, its senate was constituted after every four years, with the members elected through a democratic process.
Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal had requested the vice president to direct the university vice-chancellor to immediately hold the polls.
