BHUBANESWAR: Union Home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said ABVP’s win in student union elections across the country, including Odisha, showed that youth power stood firmly with the “Nation First” ideology.
In a post on X, Shah congratulated ABVP office-bearers in Odisha and termed the results a strong reply to “anti-national forces”.
Citing the results in favour of AVBP, BJP’s student wing, first in Panjab University, then Delhi University and now Odisha, he said a clear trend had emerged. “The youth of the country are not with forces which are spreading falsehoods, illusions and chaos,” he said, in an apparent dig at the ongoing opposition political parties and CJP agitation against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin said the results reflected a rejection of politics that spread anarchy in the name of youth power. “India’s youth power has unwavering faith in nationalism and national interest. Inspired by the ideals of Swami Vivekananda, today’s youth are moving forward with the resolve of nation-building and are committed to playing an important role in realising the goal of Viksit Bharat@2047,” he said.
Student union elections were held in Odisha on October 15, after an eight-year gap. The polls were seen as a litmus test for parties ahead of the panchayat and urban local body elections. ABVP won eight of 13 state universities and over 200 colleges. ABVP state secretary Diptimayee Pratihari claimed a clean sweep of the panel at Utkal University. At Ravenshaw University in Cuttack, she said, the outfit won every post except president.