JNU Goes to Polls on 6 Sept – Meet the Contesting Candidates

Once again, we can expect to see a pitched battle between the Left Unity and the ABVP in JNU.

The Students' Union elections at the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University are set to be held on 6 September. Once again, we can expect to see a pitched battle between the Left Unity and the right-wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA) has emerged as a formidable third force, expected to cause an uproar and bag one of the two central panel posts for which it is contesting.

More than a dozen candidates, including three women, are in the contest for the four posts in the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) polls this time.

Here's a quick look at who is stacked up where.

Left Unity

The United Left, which comprises All India Students' Association (AISA), Students' Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Students' Federation (DSF) and All India Students' Federation (AISF), will be contesting for four posts, that of: President, Vice President, General Secretary and Joint Secretary.

Aishe Ghosh from the SFI is contesting for the post of President. AISA's Satish Chandra Yadav is contesting the post of JNUSU General Secretary, DSF's Saket Moon for the Vice President's post and AISF's Mohammad Danish for the post of Joint Secretary.

ABVP

The RSS-affiliated ABVP has also fielded candidates for the four posts. Last week, ABVP's presidential candidate Manish Jangid took a dig at the Left Unity Students' Union and said that they could not even get themselves notified.

"While the entire country rejoiced the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, the tukde-tukde gang was immersed in sadness," he had said.

From the right-wing outfit, Shruti Agnihotri is contesting for the post of Vice President, Sabareesh PA is contesting for the post of General Secretary and Sumanta Kumar Sahu is gunning for the post of Joint Secretary.

BAPSA

BAPSA, in operation only since 2014, is contesting only for the posts of the President and the General Secretary, with Jitendra Suna as its candidate for the former, and Waseem RS for the latter.

Suna has said that his party is against fascism and has accused the ABVP of "committing institutional murder of Rohith Vemula."

Others

The Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) has fielded only one candidate – Prashant Kumar, for the post of the President.

Meanwhile, the Chhatra Rashtriya Janata Dal, Students' Wing of the RJD, will be contesting for the posts of the President and the Vice President. Priyanka Bharti is the candidate for the post of the President. Rishipal Yadav, who is visually impaired, is contesting for the post of Vice President.

An independent candidate named Raghavendra Mishra, who clads saffron robes, was contesting for the post of the President as well but his candidature was cancelled by the university's poll panel.

The nomination of Mishra, who is also known as the 'Yogi of JNU', was cancelled after it was found that a proctorial inquiry was carried out against him.

The result of the JNU polls are expected to be out by 8 September.