ABVP emerges as a counter voice to the Left in JNU

Once regarded as an unshakeable stronghold of Left ideology, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is witnessing a gradual political shift. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is steadily carving out a space for itself on a campus long dominated by Left student organisations.

While groups such as AISA, SFI and DSF have traditionally shaped campus politics, the ABVP’s growing influence and nationalist pitch are beginning to challenge that monopoly. Although the ABVP is yet to secure major victories in the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) polls, it has succeeded in attracting a significant section of students through consistent engagement and issue-based activism.

A senior JNU professor observed that the organisation was “emerging as a necessary alternative in the university’s political landscape.” He added that while the ABVP was still catching up with the Left in electoral strength, “it has succeeded in creating a strong counter-narrative rooted in nationalism.”

Currently, the ABVP claims to be the largest student organisation on campus. Its rise, however, has been gradual and challenging. Recalling the early years, Vaibhav Meena, State Joint Secretary of JNUSU, said, “In 2008, one of our differently abled students was heckled for simply putting up ABVP posters. At that time, we barely managed 300 votes in elections. But we kept raising campus-centric issues that mattered to students.”

Meena said that unlike the Left groups, which prioritised global or ideological debates, the ABVP focused on everyday concerns such as hostel facilities, academic processes and the overall student experience.

The ABVP first entered JNU politics in the 1990s, when an RSS pracharak began visiting the campus. For years, it faced hostility and isolation from the entrenched Left groups that dominated the JNUSU. However, the fall of the Soviet Union, the decline of Left movements nationally and the BJP’s growing prominence gave the ABVP new momentum. The turning point came in 2000, when it won the JNUSU president’s post for the first time.