Stage set for clash in medical faculty

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 17

Though Prof Navdeep Goyal’s group is likely to get its members elected unopposed from some of the faculties in the Syndicate polls on December 18, the stage is set for a clash with the Ashok Goyal group in the medical faculty.

Last year, all members from the Prof Navdeep Goyal group were elected unopposed to the Syndicate. 

Senator Ashok Goyal is himself contesting, along with Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) president Prof Rajesh Gill, from the medical faculty which has two seats in the Syndicate.

From Prof Navdeep Goyal’s group, Prof Rajat Sandhir and Dr RK Mahajan are fielded. 

Both groups are trying to cause defection in each other’s camp. Goyal had himself declared that results would reveal how much actual strength they had. Mainstream politicians are being roped in to call senators for support.

Candidates from other faculties

From the Ashok Goyal group, Prof Keshav Malhotra and Assistant Professor Praveen Goyal are contesting from the languages faculty.

Prof Navdeep Goyal, who is chairperson of the Physics Department, declared the names of their candidates for Syndicate polls today. “From the arts faculty, Chandigarh BJP president Sanjay Tandon, Assistant Professor Ameer Sultana, Centre for Women Studies Chairperson, and Prof Ronki Ram are contesting. From the science faculty, Prabhjeet Singh, Dr Amit Joshi, Sri Guru Gobind Singh (SGGS) College, Sector 26, Chandigarh, and Dr SS Sangha, principal of the Dasmesh Girls College of Education, Muktsar, are being fielded,” he said.

He said, “From the combined faculty, I, Dr Satish Sharma, president of DAV College Management Committee, and Principal of PGGCG-11, Anita Kaushal, will be contesting.” 

From the languages faculty, Dr Ajay Ranga, from University Institute of Legal studies (UILS), PU, and Dr Subhash Sharma will be in the field. From the law faculty, Gurjot Malhi, retired IPS officer, and Inderpal Singh Sidhu, assistant professor, SGGS College-26, have been chosen to contest.

The election to all faculties will start from 9 am onwards on December 18.

Prof Navdeep Goyal leads a coalition of all colours where members of the BJP, Congress and leftists are on one side. Being supported by DAV group, BJP affiliated members, Gosal group, Iqbal Sandhu group, Jagpal Singh group and the one led by Rabindernath Sharma, Prof Navdeep claims to have the support of 65 senators out of 91.

“We are going to win all seats easily. There is no competition,” said Prof Navdeep Goyal. He said for Dean Law, Anu Chatrath was contesting. “For Dean Medical Sciences, we have decided the name of Dr Amod Gupta,” said Prof Navdeep Goyal.