JNU Student Protests Election Nomination Cancellation with Hunger Strike

New Delhi, March 23 - A significant protest has unfolded at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where Swati Singh, a student and nominee from the United Left Alliance for the JNUSU central panel, has initiated an indefinite hunger strike. This action comes in the wake of her candidacy being revoked for the university's student union elections that occurred on March 22. Singh's protest, which has surpassed 32 hours, began after her nomination for the position of general secretary was cancelled just hours before the polling started on Friday.

The cancellation of Singh's candidacy was a result of a challenge by the RSS-affiliated student union ABVP with the university's Grievance Redressal Cell. Despite this setback, Singh commenced her hunger strike at 2:30 pm on Friday, during the ongoing polling, demanding her re-nomination and a re-election for the general secretary role. Following over 24 hours on strike, university doctors conducted a medical examination to assess Singh's health.

In her statement to the press, Singh accused the JNUSU Election Committee (EC) of being influenced by a nexus between the administration and ABVP. She questioned the initial validation of her nomination by the EC, only to have it revoked later. "If my candidature was not in accordance with rules, why did the EC declare my nomination as valid in the first place?" she queried. The EC had previously released a notification on March 16, listing candidates deemed valid for the JNUSU central panel elections, including Singh.

Singh alleges that there is a deliberate attempt by the EC to prevent her from participating in the elections. As of now, there has been no response from the EC regarding Singh's allegations. Amidst these controversies, Singh continues to demand her right to be re-nominated and for a re-election to be held for the general secretary position in the JNU Students Union.

Meanwhile, the JNUSU Election Committee is in the process of tallying votes, with results expected to be announced early Sunday morning. The situation remains tense as the university community awaits further developments.