Uncertainty over PU Senate poll continues

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 25

A day after Panjab University postponed elections for choosing six faculties to the Senate, will the elections for graduate constituency head in the same direction?

The elections for the graduate constituency are scheduled for May 16. A total of 43 candidates are contesting for 15 seats. Suspicion has also been raised on elections scheduled for constituencies of principals of technical and professional colleges and the staff of technical and professional colleges on May 3, constituencies of professors and associate/assistant professors and constituency of heads of affiliated arts colleges and constituency of associate professors/assistant professors of affiliated arts colleges on May 16. The registered graduate constituency has 3,61,879 eligible voters for which polling booths are set up in different states apart from Chandigarh and Punjab.

The four-year term of the previous Senate ended on October 31, 2020. Sources claimed that the Haryana and Himachal governments have withdrawn their previous orders in which Panjab University was allowed to have pooling booths in the state.

The Director Higher Education (DHE), Himachal Pradesh, has already withdrawn previous orders regarding conducting Senate elections.

“These state governments have withdrawn their previous orders considering a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases. Hundreds of voters are eligible to vote under this graduate constituency elections conducted at various places, including Chandigarh. While some contestants are keen to conduct elections, others are opposing it,” said an official.

The Panjab University Registrar was unavailable for his comment.