NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) elections held on Friday witnessed a turnout of 68.3%, a decline of 5% from the turnout record previous year.
In the 2024 students’ body polls, the university saw 73% voting, the highest in the past 12 years. However this year, out of the 7,906 registered votes, 5,400 were polled on Friday.
The polling was held in two sessions – between 9 am and 1 pm and between 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm. The counting of votes is scheduled to begin late on Friday night, and the results are expected by April 28.
This year, 57% of total voters were male while 43% were female votes. The contest is apparently intense and sharply polarised, with new alliances redrawing old battle lines on the JNU campus. The students’ union polls this time witnessed major realignments with the long-standing Left alliance getting splintered.
The All India Students Association (AISA) had allied with Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF), while the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) had joined hands with the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), and Progressive Students’ Association to form a bloc.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had fielded a full panel comprising Shikha Swaraj for president, Nittu Goutham for vice-president, Kunal Rai for general secretary, and Vaibhav Meena for joint secretary.
Polling began around 9 am at the 17 polling stations set up across the campus at different centres of specialised studies and continued till 6 pm.
Supporters of different outfits chanted slogans and touted their candidates as students queued up to cast their votes at respective booths. ‘Jai Bheem’, Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, and ‘Lal Salam’ along with beats of drum rented the air as a large number of students flocked the polling booths after 11 am.
Highlights
Of the 7,906 registered votes, 5,400 were polled on Friday, 68.3 % of electorate
Polling began around 9am at 17 booths across the JNU campus; continued till 6pm
Counting scheduled to begin Friday night; results are expected by April 28
2024 JNUSU polls saw 73% voting, highest in 12 years, with Left alliance victorious