BENGALURU: After nearly 30 years, colleges across the state may witness campus elections as the State government is likely to take decision in that regard. There has been a demand to hold college polls from various stakeholders including student unions, and according to them there should be an elected student body that will act bridge between students and Universities. In Karnataka, college polls were banned since 1990 during Veerendra Patil’s time when there was violence reported in college campuses in Bengaluru.
Now, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Loksabha Rahul Gandhi has insisted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to conduct polls in the college campuses. Siddaramiah is also keen to take it up and many other Congress leaders are also batting for the same.
A senior Congress leader said Rahul Gandhi may have written to the CM. “Siddaramaiah also confirmed his talks with Rahul Gandhi and shown keen interest to conduct polls’’ leader said.
Senior leader and Congress MLC BK Hariprasad told TNIE they are demanding to conduct college polls. “Infact we had appealed Rahul Gandhi to bat for it and not just for Karnataka across India where polls are not conducted’’ he said. Stressing the need for college campus polls, Hariprasad said Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) has infiltrated into colleges and brought their agenda. They are putting their agenda on Vice Chancellor and Senate members. “We have told our leaders no associations are allowed in the campus and therefore need for college campus elections, so that one can raise their voice against the injustice’’ he said.
Congress now wants to strengthen National Students Union of India, student wing of Congress. Elections can be held once the government order is issued, sources said.
In Karnataka, college polls were conducted last in 1990. “Now system has changed with many deemed and private universities coming up. Private colleges and Private Universities may not encourage to hold polls. Government even if they want to hold, they can only hold at government and University colleges’’ sources added
