Jawaharlal Nehru University set for first student polls in four years

New Delhi: After weeks of uncertainty, Jawaharlal Nehru University appears set for a February poll to elect its first students union in four years. Though the Supreme Court's December 8 order lifted its stay on the elections, paving the way for the process to be resumed, the final few glitches too seem to have been ironed out.

The agitating students of the university said the administration had conveyed to them its willingness to hold JNUSU elections within this semester as a one-time arrangement.

With this, the conduct of JNUSU elections within this month has become certain, said a statement from them.

"With the green light by the administration, we assume the election dates will be finalised in another two, three days," said SFI general secretary (rpt) general secretary
Roshan Kishore.

Last month a group of students, disappointed over the varsity administration's handling of the issue, held a six-day -long hunger strike.

While much celebration was held after the apex court's December verdict, the process remained stuck in some problematic issues.

The deadlock continued till the last week of January as the students demanded the immediate constitution of a Grievance Redressal Committee.

The JNU administration, meanwhile, said it was seeking legal counsel on the issue as the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations state that elections have to be held within six to eight weeks of the new academic session.

The Supreme Court had in 2008 imposed a stay on elections in JNU citing violations of the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations.