Delhi University and JNU will vote for their respective student unions tomorrow. (Representational)
New Delhi:
Two prominent varsities of the country -- Delhi University and JNU will vote for their respective student unions tomorrow with around 35 candidates set to test their electoral fortunes in the two politically active campuses.
Election authorities at both the universities are geared up with all arrangements in place for the polls which are being closely watched in the aftermath of the controversies which have rocked university campuses across the country in recent months.
The elections at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which have been keenly contested over decades are hogging more limelight this year in the backdrop of the February 9 event during which "anti-national'' slogans were allegedly raised leading to arrest of outgoing JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and two others.
While the political slugfest at DU has over the decades been between Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and RSS' student wing Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA) is vying for the central panel posts with a series of campaigns done by the outfit in recent months to thwart alleged attempts of attacks on university campuses across the country.
"A total of 17 candidates are in fray for the four posts of DUSU office-bearers. While 7 candidates are in race for the post of President, 4 nominations have been validated for the post of Vice-President," D S Rawat, Chief Election Commissioner for DUSU polls said.
"Three contestants each are in fray for the post of Secretary and Joint Secretary," he said.
The voting for Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections will take place in two phases across 117 booths set up at 51 colleges of the university.
"With a total of 1,23,246 voters, the voting will take place across 51 colleges of the university from morning to evening," Mr Rawat said.
According to DU authorities, the timings for voting for the students of morning colleges will be from 8.30 AM to 12.30 PM, while the students of evening colleges can cast their votes from 3 PM to 7 PM.
Mr Rawat said 300 EVMs would be used for the elections and adequate security arrangements have also been made at each and every polling centre to prevent any untoward incident.
"The results of DUSU elections will be declared by Saturday afternoon," he added.
DUSU is the representative body of the students from most colleges and faculties. Apart from DUSU, which is an umbrella council, each college also has its own students' union for which they hold separate elections.
Last year, the DUSU polls were swept by ABVP which trounced NSUI and AAP's Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) to bag all the four positions.
The AAP's student wing is not contesting the polls this year.
In JNU, 18 candidates will be contesting the polls where over 8,600 voters will cast their vote.
"A total of 18 candidates are in fray for the Central Panel which includes president, vice-president, general secretary and joint secretary. Another 79 candidates are also in the fray for the posts of councillors at all the centres of the university," Ms Ishita Mana, Chief Election Commissioner for JNUSU polls, said.
CPI affiliated All India Students Federation (AISF), of which sedition accused Mr Kanhaiya Kumar is a member, is not contesting the polls this time.
Last year, AISF had for the first time independently contested elections and opened its account in the union polls with Mr Kanhaiya, who was elected for the president's post, while ABVP had bagged one of the four central panel slots after a gap of 14 years.
For the first time, AISA, the student wing of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), and SFI of CPI-M have formed an alliance for JNUSU polls, naming it "Left Unity".
Students Front for Swaraj (SFS), the student wing of AAP's breakaway group Swaraj Abhiyan, is making its debut this year by fielding its candidates for the four crucial central panel posts in JNU.
Other organistations which have fielded their candidates in the JNU polls include ABVP, NSUI, Democratic Students Federation (DSF) and Birsa Ambdekar Phule Students Association (BAPSA).
JNUSU is the representative body of the students in the varsity.
While the polling has coincided with that for that DUSU polls for the fourth consecutive year, the poll pattern at JNU differs from that of Delhi University.
Besides the routine campaigning, the candidates in JNU are also supposed to make speeches about their agenda followed by a round of questions at the "Presidential debate".
The night-long event, conducted in the style of US Presidential debate, is a sought after affair and also a deciding factor for the union elections.
Rohith Vemula's suicide, sedition row, nationalism debate and fight for a bit of B R Ambedkar's legacy were the highlights of this year's debate.
"The counting for JNUSU polls will begin tomorrow night and the results are expected to be announced by Sunday morning," Ms Mana said.
Unlike DU, ballot papers are used in JNUSU polls.
The None of the Above (NOTA) option, which has been available to JNU voters for the last few years, has been introduced by DU for the first time.
Election authorities at both the universities are geared up with all arrangements in place for the polls which are being closely watched in the aftermath of the controversies which have rocked university campuses across the country in recent months.
The elections at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which have been keenly contested over decades are hogging more limelight this year in the backdrop of the February 9 event during which "anti-national'' slogans were allegedly raised leading to arrest of outgoing JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and two others.
While the political slugfest at DU has over the decades been between Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and RSS' student wing Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA) is vying for the central panel posts with a series of campaigns done by the outfit in recent months to thwart alleged attempts of attacks on university campuses across the country.
"A total of 17 candidates are in fray for the four posts of DUSU office-bearers. While 7 candidates are in race for the post of President, 4 nominations have been validated for the post of Vice-President," D S Rawat, Chief Election Commissioner for DUSU polls said.
"Three contestants each are in fray for the post of Secretary and Joint Secretary," he said.
The voting for Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections will take place in two phases across 117 booths set up at 51 colleges of the university.
"With a total of 1,23,246 voters, the voting will take place across 51 colleges of the university from morning to evening," Mr Rawat said.
According to DU authorities, the timings for voting for the students of morning colleges will be from 8.30 AM to 12.30 PM, while the students of evening colleges can cast their votes from 3 PM to 7 PM.
Mr Rawat said 300 EVMs would be used for the elections and adequate security arrangements have also been made at each and every polling centre to prevent any untoward incident.
"The results of DUSU elections will be declared by Saturday afternoon," he added.
DUSU is the representative body of the students from most colleges and faculties. Apart from DUSU, which is an umbrella council, each college also has its own students' union for which they hold separate elections.
Last year, the DUSU polls were swept by ABVP which trounced NSUI and AAP's Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) to bag all the four positions.
The AAP's student wing is not contesting the polls this year.
In JNU, 18 candidates will be contesting the polls where over 8,600 voters will cast their vote.
"A total of 18 candidates are in fray for the Central Panel which includes president, vice-president, general secretary and joint secretary. Another 79 candidates are also in the fray for the posts of councillors at all the centres of the university," Ms Ishita Mana, Chief Election Commissioner for JNUSU polls, said.
CPI affiliated All India Students Federation (AISF), of which sedition accused Mr Kanhaiya Kumar is a member, is not contesting the polls this time.
Last year, AISF had for the first time independently contested elections and opened its account in the union polls with Mr Kanhaiya, who was elected for the president's post, while ABVP had bagged one of the four central panel slots after a gap of 14 years.
For the first time, AISA, the student wing of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), and SFI of CPI-M have formed an alliance for JNUSU polls, naming it "Left Unity".
Students Front for Swaraj (SFS), the student wing of AAP's breakaway group Swaraj Abhiyan, is making its debut this year by fielding its candidates for the four crucial central panel posts in JNU.
Other organistations which have fielded their candidates in the JNU polls include ABVP, NSUI, Democratic Students Federation (DSF) and Birsa Ambdekar Phule Students Association (BAPSA).
JNUSU is the representative body of the students in the varsity.
While the polling has coincided with that for that DUSU polls for the fourth consecutive year, the poll pattern at JNU differs from that of Delhi University.
Besides the routine campaigning, the candidates in JNU are also supposed to make speeches about their agenda followed by a round of questions at the "Presidential debate".
The night-long event, conducted in the style of US Presidential debate, is a sought after affair and also a deciding factor for the union elections.
Rohith Vemula's suicide, sedition row, nationalism debate and fight for a bit of B R Ambedkar's legacy were the highlights of this year's debate.
"The counting for JNUSU polls will begin tomorrow night and the results are expected to be announced by Sunday morning," Ms Mana said.
Unlike DU, ballot papers are used in JNUSU polls.
The None of the Above (NOTA) option, which has been available to JNU voters for the last few years, has been introduced by DU for the first time.
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