DU, JNU polls tomorrow, 35 candidates to test electoral waters

New Delhi, Sep 8: 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," 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.

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.

PTI