BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of campus elections across colleges and universities in the state on October 15, student leaders and aspiring candidates on Tuesday stepped up their outreach programmes, meeting students and seeking their support ahead of the polls.
The intensified campaign also prompted student associations linked to different volunteer organisations and political parties to showcase their organisational strength and mobilise supporters across campuses.
Sources said ahead of the formal notification of the student union election scheduled at the university level, the aspiring candidates of Utkal University, Rama Devi Women’s University, BJB Autonomous College, Rajdhani College and other government and government-aided colleges visited different departments and classes, and reached out to the student electors, enquiring about the problems they were facing, the facilities they want in the campus to be improved and their views regarding the ensuing polls.
“During our visit to different departments, we also highlighted how we had been fighting in the recent years to restore students’ voice on campus. We also assured them that we will continue to stand by them and for the development of our university,” said Asit, one of the student leaders of Utkal University.
Meanwhile, student associations are holding programmes and mobilising their cadres to demonstrate their presence and organisational reach.
On the day, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) organised Vijay Utsav in front of RD University, BJB Autonomous College and other institutions, while the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) also mobilised its supporters at Utkal University and RD University.
Sources said a movie screening was also organised for the students, in which Odia actors were invited at Utkal University by one of the student groups.
Leaders of NSUI Odisha also mobilised support in different campuses. The mobilisation is expected to intensify further as the poll process gathers momentum.
The official election notification will be issued by the colleges and universities on Wednesday, while nomination filing, scrutiny and publication of valid nominations will take place on October 9. The ‘Why I Stand For’ meeting will be held on October 14, while polling will be held on October 15.