The United Left Panel, comprising of Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF), the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the All India Students’ Federation (AISF), swept the RSS backed student organisations in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) polls, winning all four central posts.
SFI got the president’s post after 13 years, with Aishe Ghosh elected as JNUSU president with 2,313 votes. Ghosh defeated ABVP’s Manish Jangid, who got 1,128 votes, PTI reported.
The post of general secretary was secured by AISA’s Satish Chandra Yadav while DSF’s Saket Moon was elected vice-president. For joint secretary post, AISF’s Mohd Danish emerged as the winner. The Left has been sweeping all four seats since 2016. The ABVP came second on all posts last year.
ABVP had hoped to gain votes by celebrating the abrogation of Article 370, which found mention in their speeches. Congress’ National Students’ Union of India and Chhatra Rashtriya Janata Dal also contested. NSUI fielded a candidate only for the post of president.
The voter turnout JNUSU election held on Friday was 67.9 per cent, believed to be the highest in seven years. Over 5,700 students cast their votes.
The results were to be declared originally on September 8 but were stayed by the Delhi High Court after petitions by two students alleging their nominations for the election of councillor in the JNUSU were illegally rejected.
The court had restrained the varsity from notifying the election results till September 17. It had also told JNU Standing Counsel Monika Arora and advocate Harsh Ahuja that after “declaration of result, it has to be placed before the university and a notification has to be issued by the university accepting the result, and it is only after (this) that the newly elected student body can take charge”.
Last week, the EC Saturday had decided that the last 150 votes for the Central Panel seats would not be announced, so as to not violate the HC order. On Sunday, it withheld from announcing over 700 votes — 5,050 of 5,762 votes polled were announced.
(With Inputs from the Indian Express and PTI)
