NSUI, PUSU in talks for a tie-up

Aarti Kapur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 29

For the first time in the history of the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) elections, two rival student parties are planning to join hands to contest. The elections are likely to be held by the end of next month.

Sources in the NSUI said talks were going on between senior leaders of the Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) and the NSUI for an alliance for the elections.

The NSUI also has the support of former PUCSC president Divanshu Bhudiraja.

Referring to the election results of last year in which the presidential candidate of PUSU, that had an alliance with the Gandhi Group Students Union (GGSU) and the Haryana Students Association, was defeated by only 77 votes by the NSUI winning president, the sources said it indicated that the PUSU had a huge vote bank on the campus. The Students Organisation of India (SOI) is also likely to be in the fray this year. Like it did last year, the SOI is planning an alliance with smaller student parties on the campus.

Interestingly, this year, one of the oldests student parties, the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU), has “disappeared” from the campus as it does not have any prominent leader. It has decided to contest elections in the colleges only. The ABVP is yet to decide whether to go it alone or have an alliance for the elections.

Tough fight