LEFT LEADING IN ALL FOUR JNUSU POSTS
NEW DELHI: The united alliance of Left-affiliated student political wings on Saturday were cruising their way to another thumping victory in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) election, with their candidates leading the race for the posts of president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary of the Union.
Counting went into late Saturday night, with the Left alliance – comprising of SFI, AISA and DSF – securing four councillor seats each in prestigious School of International Studies (Sis)and School of Social Studies (SOS).
Meanwhile, Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Students’ Organisation (BASO) managed to clinch one a seat in SSS, while one at SIS went to an independent candidate.
At the time of writing this report, 2,131 out of the 4,639 votes polled in Friday’s election had been counted. The united Left got 580 votes for the president’s post, while ABVP got 544 votes.
Chepal Sherpa, the candidate from BASO, was elected as councillor from SSS with 552 votes. Umar Khalid, the founder of BASO, said: “It has just been over a year since we constituted BASO and in our first student union election (SU), students have reposed trust in our candidate from SSS.”
Khalid added that he would like to thank the students for their overwhelming support, at a time of “intensifying fascist onslaught both within and outside university. We pledge to become the uncompromising voice of students’ resistance within the JNUSU 2017.”
Seven candidates are in the fray for the post of the students’ union president, which is currently held by the AISA, in alliance with the SFI.
“It was predominantly a three-cornered fight between the right wing ABVP, the left unity of AISA, SFI and DSF, and the BAPSA (Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association),” said a student at the University.
A total of 4,639, or 58.69 per cent, of 7,903 voters cast their ballots.
This was a minute drop from last year’s 59.60 per cent turnout, according to the JNUSU election committee.