With Delhi police cops manning the gates of JNU for first time during student elections, the first phase of polling for university’s student union saw massive participation of students.
While no figures about the voting percentage have been revealed by the varsity’s election body, hundreds of students from various political parties thronged polling booths in the university’s various schools.
Carrying tambourines and posters, voters were seen jostling for their way inside polling booths amid a huge rush of party activists.
Polling was stopped nearly for more than an hour at the university’s School of International Studies after the name of a student councillor candidate from ABVP was found missing from the ballot paper.
However, the ballot papers were replaced and the duration of the polling at School of International Studies was extended by two hours, an official from the university’s election body said.
“It’s one of the most interesting elections in the history of JNU as the equation this year is very different. This is the first time two Leftist groups have entered into an alliance. But what’s ironical is the poster boy of the whole JNU movement Kanhaiya Kumar is not taking part in the elections, nor his party. The emergence of an Ambedkarite group BAPSA has also turned the contest more diverse,” Prashant, a JNU student told ScoopWhoop News.
An estimated 9000 students will be deciding the fate of candidates for various posts in JNUSU from various political outfits. However, a close contest is expected between ABVP and a Left alliance of All India Students Association and Students Federation of India.
Unlike previous years, polls in JNU this year have been dominated by the nationalism debate triggered in the aftermath of February 9 incident which led to the arrest and slapping of sedition charges on three JNU students including JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.
The polling is scheduled to conclude at 5:30 PM.
There’s been no official announcement about the date of declaration of results.
Feature Image Source: PTI
