Eight in fray for PU student council top post

Eight candidates, including three females, will contest the post of the president of the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC), which will go to the polls on September 3. The final list of candidates was declared on Thursday evening.

Those in the fray for the top post are Ardas from the UIFT, Gaurav Veer Sohal and Parabjot Singh Gill, both from Department of Law, Jobanpreet Singh from Department of Philosophy), Mankirat Singh Mann and Seerat from the UIET, Navneet Kaur of the UILS and Sumit Kumar from Geography Department. Besides, five candidates each will fight for the posts of vice-president and secretary while four will contest the post of joint secretary.

An alliance led by Sumit Kumar, who enjoys support of heavyweights like the last PUCSC president Anurag Dalal, will be the face of Student Front and Himachal Students’ Union (HIMSU) panel. His team will consist of Naveen Kumar from ABVP Front, a group formed by former members of ABVP. Another rebel group of Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) will also be part of this group. Abhishek Dagar will be fighting the election for the post of secretary and Sidharth Boora for the post of joint secretary. The alliance includes five political groups (Student Front+ABVP Front+SOPU+PUSU+HIMSU) making it a group of ‘rebels’. Dalal had won the last year’s election as an independent candidate after rebelling against the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).

Sath has fielded Ashmeet Singh for the post of council vice-president. NSUI rebel Navdeep Singh and Esha Chander will be independent candidates while Jatin Kamboj will represent University Students’ Organisation (USO).

Komal Preet Kaur is ASAP’s choice for the post of secretary, while the Indian National Students’ Organisation (INSO), which is contesting on a single post, has fielded Vishesh Anand Dhaka. Haryana Students’ Association (HAS) has picked Sahil Jangra and Jatin Dagar will be representing ISO.

Another NSUI rebel Saar Khatri and Mohit Manderana will be independent candidates for the joint secretary’s post, while Aryan Verma will be fighting for the post from the Himachal Pradesh Students’ Union (HPSU).

Final list of candidates delayed

The Panjab University authorities made public the final list of candidates at 7.30 pm while it should have been out by 2.30 pm. Sources said a series of meetings were held before releasing the list, as the authorities allegedly failed to clear the objections raised by certain groups.

“The main problem was regarding the results of some candidates, who have had to re-appear in their examinations. While the authorities reportedly approved the candidatures, the names were put on hold as the time for announcement of the final list neared,” claimed sources privy to the matter.

No holiday tomorrow

Panjab University announced that all teaching departments, institutes and centres under it will be working on August 30. The university will observe a holiday on September 4, a day after the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council elections. The timetable of September 4 will be followed on August 30.

Expect a mixed result

With main political groups fighting only on one seat, the result of the election will be a mixed house. It will be perhaps the first election where the main political groups are fighting only at the top post, while the independents and rebels hold their power on other seats—forcing the main groups to think over forming alliances.