United Left Panel Sweeps JNUSU Polls

Updated at 2:20 PM

After counting of all 5185 votes, the Left Unity panel has swept the JNUSU polls. The Panel has won all four Central posts by a margin of 1179 votes on the post of President, 1579 on the post of Vice President, 1193 votes on the post of General Secretary and 757 votes on the post of Joint Secretary.

Updated at 12:30 PM  

After counting 4715 votes, United Left (SFI-AISA-AISF-DSF) is leading in all four central panel posts, by 1073, 1509, 1187 and 723. Just about 470 votes remain to be counted. On the post of President, United Left has secured 1958 votes, on Vice President: 2426 votes, on Secretary 2205 and on Joint Secretary 1839 votes. Meanwhile, the celebrations have begun. 

After a day of high drama, violence and vandalism by RSS-backed ABVP to disrupt the counting of votes, the United Left panel, comprising the Students’ Federation of India, the All India Students’ Association, the All India Students Federation and the Democratic Students’ Federation, is headed for a massive victory in the JNUSU elections.

Even as counting was going on, the Left panel was way ahead in all central posts. After 3200 of the total 5185 votes were counted, the panel had bagged 1445 votes for the president’s post, with ABVP far behind with 573 votes, the Ambedkarite BAPSA at 488 and Chhatra RJD at 333.

In a massive mandate against the divisive and communal agenda of the ABVP, the Left Unity students also swept in most of the councillor posts in various schools, even in the sciences schools, which is considered ABVP stronghold.

In School of Social Sciences, the United Left (SFI-AISF-AISA-DSF) swept all five councillor posts with massive margins, while in the School of International Studies the panels bagged four out of five posts.

On Saturday, counting of votes was suspended for over 14 hours after ABVP members attempted to snatch away ballot boxes and resorted to vandalism and violence.

SFI leader Satarupa Chakravarty and many other students were injured in the violence.

“Many of our comrades have been severely injured in the violence unleashed by ABVP in the SL-SIS lawns some time back. ….Students had assembled in large number to democratically raise their voice against the ABVP goons who had captured booths. The frustration of ABVP went to another level when the four members of ABVP was forced to come out of the SIS 1 building after students unitedly raised their voice against the goons” said a statement from SFI.

While condemning the violence, which is unheard of in JNU, the SFI said, “One thing is very clear. ABVP will go to whatever extent possible to stop these election results from being announced. Also, this will be done by unleashing more violence, especially on women cadres.”

JNU students and faculty, which have seen persistent attacks by the BJP government in the past four years, saw a turnout of 67.8% in this year’s students polls, said to be the highest in the past six years.