PUCSC polls: Officials hold key meet, parties eye alliances as nominations draw near

The Dean Student Welfare (DSW), Panjab University, today called a meeting of chairpersons of all departments ahead of the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) elections. The main agenda of the meeting was to discuss modalities of the elections, gather suggestions and to make officials aware about their duties.

“Standard procedures for the elections were discussed as the date for filing of nominations is approaching. The chairpersons will report at respective departments on specific time and will remain in touch with the grievance cell,” said DSW Prof Amit Chauhan.

He added that, “The chairpersons have been also asked to issue guidelines to students for registering at the online portal to get their vehicle parking and entry strikers ahead of the elections.”

The nominations will be filed on August 27, followed by scrutiny, display of list, filing of objections and issuing provisional list the same day. The withdrawals and the final list of contesting candidates will be displayed on August 28. Meanwhile, with a few days left for the nominations, political groups are heavily planning on managing alliances. Majority of the leading groups are in talks with the emerging or small groups for merger or alliance. “The picture will be cleared after the nominations. This time, the parties are heavily relying on forming alliances and expect few groups, with differences between them, all leading parties will contest the election under alliances,” said Vanita Kapoor, a student.

Panjab University student organisation Sath today announced Ashmeet Singh as its official candidate for the post of vice-president. “Ashmeet has consistently raised his voice for students’ rights,” said Sath’s election in-charge Harmanpreet Singh. Ashmeet is a student of University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS). Sath was established in 2017 as a discussion group, and since then it has consistently represented issues concerning ‘panth’ and Punjab in the university, added Harmanpreet. He highlighted that earlier this year, Sath led the longest-ever sit-in in the history of the university to safeguard the Senate. “My priority will be to make the university more student-centric and ensure that students’ voice is always heard,” said Ashmeet.

AISA contests election for the first time

The All India Students’ Association (AISA) will contest the PUCSC election for the post of joint secretary with Ajay Karan Singh, a second-year student from the Department of Laws, as its candidate.

“From the protest for the democratisation and re-instatement of Senate elections to the protest for the quashing of FIRs against the protesters, Singh has been an important voice in the student movement,” said AISA leaders.