JNUSU polls held, HC stays declaration of results

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), seen as a traditional left bastion, went to polls on Friday to elect its students union with two women in the fray for the top post. However, the Delhi High Court has stayed declaration of the results, which were expected on September 8 till it hears the matter later this month.

While the Left alliance's candidate is Aishe Ghosh of the CPI-M-affiliated Students Federation of India (SFI), the Chhatra Rashtriya Janata Dal (CRJD), the students' wing of the RJD, had fielded Priyanka Bharti for the top post.

Other student leaders vying for the top post include Manish Jangid of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad), Jitendra Suna (BAPSA-Fraternity), Raghvendra Mishra (Independent) and Prashant Kumar (National Students Union of India-Muslim Students Front).

The polls are held for all four posts President, Vice President, General Secretary and Joint Secretary. A total of 14 candidates from across the parties are in fray. Elections for the councillors in various schools were also held.

From the RSS-affiliated ABVP, Shruti Agnihotri is the Vice Presidential candidate, Sabareesh P.A. is in fray for the post of General Secretary, while Sumanta Kumar Sahu is contesting for the post of Joint Secretary. The Congress-affiliated NSUI has just fielded its candidate for the President's post.

The Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA) is contesting for posts of President and General Secretary, while the CRJD is contesting for the posts of President and Vice President.

Jitendra Suna is BAPSA's Presidential candidate and Waseem R.S. is in contention for the post of General Secretary.

The United Left, which comprises All India Students' Association (AISA), the SFI, Democratic Students' Federation (DSF) and All India Students' Federation (AISF), is contesting on all the four posts. AISA's Satish Chandra Yadav is contesting the post of General Secretary, DSF's Saket Moon for the Vice President and AISF's Mohammad Danish for the Joint Secretary.

Rishipal Yadav, who is visually challenged, is contesting for the post of Vice President, from the CRJD.

Meanwhile, the High Court earlier in the day halted the declaration of results till September 17, while hearing pleas by two students who alleged that their nominations were rejected illegally. Both had applied for contesting as Councillors.

A bench presided by Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva has issued notice to the varsity.

"...the University is directed not to notify the results till the next date of hearing," the court said while posting the matter for September 17.

A former JNUSU post-holder, however, alleged that the RSS/ABVP planted this case to delay the results as they knew they are losing.

"These pleas filed in the Delhi High Court were just tactics to delay the result. The RSS and ABVP do not want a headline in the newspapers against them. They knew they would not secure a lead in the elections and hence they are using such tactics," the student leader, who wished not to be named, told over the phone.

( With inputs from IANS )