JNU students have elected a Dalit as JNUSU President after 27 years. United LEFT candidate Dhananjay is a PhD student from the School of Arts and Aesthetics. He is from Gaya, Bihar
AMN / NEW DELHI
Even as Saffron is sprinkling in different parts of India, Red remined strong at JNU as Left candidates retained all four student union central panel posts in election held after four years. The ABVP was heading towards a sweep at one point in time, which came as a surprise to many. However, as the counting progressed, the Left increased their numbers and eventually secured all four posts.
Dhananjay from the All India Students’ Association (AISA) won the JNUSU President’s post by securing 2,598 votes against Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP) Umesh C Ajmeera who secured 1,676 votes.
Dhananjay hails from Gaya, Bihar, and is the first Dalit president from the Left after Batti Lal Bairwa in 1996-97.
Amid cries of “Lal Salaam” and “Jai Bhim”, the winning students were hailed by their supporters.
Avijit Ghosh from the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) trounced ABVP’s Deepika Sharma by 927 votes to win the vice-president’s post. Ghosh received 2,409 votes as against 1,482 votes by Sharma.
Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA) candidate Priyanshi Arya, who was supported by the Left, won the general secretary post’s by defeating ABVP’s Arjun Anand by 926 votes.
Arya polled in 2,887 votes while Anand received 1961 votes.
The United Left extended its support to Arya after the Election Committee cancelled the nomination of its candidate Swati Singh when her candidacy was challenged by the ABVP.
The Left’s Mohammad Sajid won the joint secretary’s post by defeating the ABVP’s Govind Dangi by 508 votes.
His was the lowest victory among all the four winners.
In the elections conducted after 4-year Covid hiatus, the United Left alliance comprising All India Students’ Association (AISA), Democratic Students Federation (DSF), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Federation (AISF), was contesting against the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
ABVP’s presidential candidate Umesh Chandra got 2,118 votes, while the Left nominee Dhananjay secured 3,100 votes.
PRESIDENT
Dhananjay (Left)- 2,598
Umesh Chandra Ajmeera (ABVP)- 1676
VICE PRESIDENT
Avijit Ghosh (Left)- 2,762
Deepika Sharma (ABVP)- 1,848
GENERAL SECRETARY
Arjun Anand (ABVP) – 2,4,12
Priyanshi Arya (BAPSA, Left Supported) – 3,440
JOINT SECRETARY
Govind Dangi (ABVP) – 2,591
Md Sajid (Left) – 3,035
Ever since JNU was established in 1969, left-wing student organisations, specifically the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), have had a strong influence on student politics.