United Left sweeps Jinan University Students’ Union polls, claiming all 4 seats

Amid chants of “Lal Salaam” and “Jai Bhim”, the winning students were cheered by their supporters.

The United Left group won resoundingly in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) elections on Sunday, defeating its nearest rival, the RSS-affiliated ABVP.

In the polls conducted after a gap of four years, Dhananjay from the All India Students’ Association (AISA) defeated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyati Parishad by 2,598 votes. ABVP’s Umesh C Ajmeera won the JNUSU chairmanship with 1,676 votes.

#watch | Jinan University students celebrated on campus after the results of the student union election were announced. pic.twitter.com/Kqjeldi1Z6

— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2024

Dhananjay, who hails from Gaya in Bihar, is the first Dalit president from the Left after Batti Lal Bairwa in 1996-97.

Amid chants of “Lal Salaam” and “Jai Bhim”, the winning students were cheered by their supporters. Students waved red, white and blue flags to celebrate the candidate’s victory.

Avijit Ghosh of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) won the vice-president post by defeating ABVP’s Deepika Sharma by 927 votes. Avijit Ghosh got 2,409 votes while DeepiksSharma got 1,482 votes. Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA) candidate Priyanshi Arya, who is backed by the Left, won the general secretary post by defeating ABVP’s Arjun Anand by 926 votes. Arya got 2,887 votes and Anand got 1961 votes. The United Left extended support to Arya after the Election Commission canceled the nomination of its candidate Swati Singh as her candidature was challenged by the ABVP. Mohammad Sajid of the Left Party won the post of joint secretary defeating ABVP’s Govind Dangi by 508 votes. His win was the lowest of all four winners.

Jinan University has truly become a left-wing bastion as the left-wing group surges to victory in the polls. ABVP fought a close battle and was ahead in all four central panel positions in the initial trend.

The United Left Group consists of All India Students Association (AISA), Democratic Students Federation (DSF), Students Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students Federation (AISF).

A Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union poll on Friday showed a voter turnout of 73%, the highest in the past 12 years, based on comparison with previous years’ data.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)