Today, Friday, May 3, the Delhi High Court (HC) sought the Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) stand. This was regarding a plea seeking re-election to the post of JNU Students' Union (SU) general secretary. This was stated in a report by PTI.
Justice Sachin Datta issued a notice to the university as well as its Election Committee, the Grievance Redressal Cell (GRC) and elected General Secretary Priyanshi Arya on the plea moved by Swati Singh, a candidate of the United Left Alliance whose nomination for the post was cancelled by the authorities hours before this year's elections were held on March 22.
The petitioner has said in her plea that despite the publication of her name in the list of valid candidates for the post of general secretary, her right to contest the poll was taken away arbitrarily, defeating the logic of free and fair elections.
"On 21.03.2022 at 10:00 pm, GRC issued an order cancelling the nomination of the petitioner based on the complaint filed by Mr Vikas Patel (ABVP secretary). The EC (Election Committee) subsequently passed an order cancelling the candidature of the petitioner on the day of polling, that is 22.03.2024 at 2:00 am, just six hours before the polling," the petition has said.
The petition further read, "The GRC acting nearly 11 hours before the casting of votes and after the name of the candidate entered in the ballot paper is a mala fide act and affects the right of the petitioner to contest a free and fair JNUSU election. Further, the right of the voters is affected by creating confusion as the petitioner's name was present in the ballot paper."
The plea said that the GRC ought not to have entertained the complaint against the petitioner for "proctorial fines" during the process of election and by allowing such last-minute cancellation, the integrity of the electoral system was compromised.
Seeking directions to set aside the decisions of the GRC and Election Committee, the petition prayed, "Issue a writ like mandamus, directing the respondent university to issue a notification for re-nomination and re-election to the post of general secretary, JNUSU elections 2023-2024."
The matter would be heard next on May 29.
