Panjab University student elections: Countdown begins as poll code kicks in

The suspense over the schedule for the Panjab University student elections ended on Saturday, with the varsity officially announcing September 6 as the polling and results date.

Poll code will now remain in effect for the 11 days before the polling day, said dean students welfare (DSW) Jatinder Grover and DSW women Simrit Kahlon. Entry of outsiders will be banned, and Chandigarh Police have been roped in to keep a check on their movement. Security personnel are conducting random checks on the campus and at hostels.

Lyngdoh committee guidelines will also come into force. As per the guidelines, there will be a ₹5,000 cap on campaigning expenditure. Only undergraduate students between the ages of 17 and 22 may contest the elections. For postgraduate students, the maximum age limit is 24 to 25 years and for research students, it is 28 years.

The schedule for the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) elections was announced after a go-ahead from the Chandigarh administration. Elections at nearly 10 Chandigarh colleges affiliated to PU will also be held the same day.

Last year, the elections were held on October 18 due to delay in admissions amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Aayush Khatkar of CYSS, the student wing of the Aam Aadmi Party, was elected the council president by a margin of 660 votes. The elections were held after a two-year gap owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Around 15,000 students are expected to participate in the elections this year. As PU has a number of students from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, the campus poll results will also gauge the public sentiment about political parties, most of whom will enter the contest through their student wings, especially with the Lok Sabha elections slated for next year.

Student parties divided on early date

While there was a mood of excitement in the varsity on Saturday after the election date was announced, all student parties were not happy with the schedule.

Speaking about this, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) Chandigarh president Sachin Galav, who is also a municipal councillor in Chandigarh, said, “Authorities don’t give much importance to student politics and want to get over with the elections as soon as possible. The election date is too early. Many new students won’t even be aware of the various student parties in the varsity before they are asked to vote for them.”

On the other hand, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) PU president Rajat Puri said they had been working for the polls throughout the year and interacting with new students ever since counselling started, so even if the date was early, it won’t be a problem for them.

Echoing the opinion, Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) state chairman Navaldeep Singh said they were confident in their field work before the declaration of the poll schedule.