New Delhi: After a four-year hiatus, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) elections commenced on Friday with over 7,700 registered electors set to cast their votes. Polling for the first phase has commenced which will continue till 1 pm. The second phase will be conducted from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm.
The counting commenced 9 am onwards and the results will be declared on Sunday. A total of 17 polling booths have been set up across different Centres of Studies for voters to cast their votes. For visually impaired students, special arrangements have been made for a digital voting system.
The polling is being done through a secret ballot separately for the JNUSU central panel office bearers and councillor candidates. A total of 19 candidates are vying for positions on the JNUSU central panel and 42 for school councillors, with eight contenders aiming for the prestigious role of president.
The Central panel consists of president, vice president, joint secretary and general secretary. The United Left comprising the All India Students' Association (AISA), Democratic Students' Federation (DSF), Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students' Federation (AISF) has fielded Dhananjay for the president's post, Avijit Ghosh for vice president, and Mh Sajid for Joint Secretary.
The nomination of Swati Singh for General Secretary from the Left panel was cancelled by the Election Committee late night after it was challenged by the 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.
The RSS affiliated ABVP has fielded Umesh Chandra Ajmeera for president, Deepika Sharma for Vice President, Arjun Anand for Secretary and Govind Daangi for Joint Secretary. Ajmeera's candidacy is underscored by his background as a victim of Naxalite attacks, losing his parents tragically in such incidents.
From the Congress's student outfit, NSUI Junaid Raza is running up for president and Farheen Zaidi for general secretary. BAPSA's contenders for Central Panel are Biswajit Minji for president, MD Anas A for vice president, Priyanshi Arya for joint secretary and Rupak Kumar Singh for general secretary.
Minji, hailing from an Adivasi community in West Bengal, draws inspiration from his parents' struggles as contractual labourers. He claims to be the first Adivasi presidential candidate if elected. Samajwadi Chatra Sabha's presidential candidate, the only female contender for president's post is from Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district and aims to fight patriarchy and become the voice of the downtrodden on campus.
