PU student elections: Independent becomes the president

According to figures obtained from PU officials, Dalal secured 234 votes from Chemistry department and 158 from Laws department.

As for the other contestants in the fray for the president’s post, Arpita Malik of ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) got 1,114 votes; Tarun Sidhu of SOI (Students Organisation of India) got 1,061 votes; Mukul from Team Mukul got 613 votes; Rahul Nain from NSUI got 501 votes; Sarah Sharma of PSU-Lalkaar got 221 votes; and Alka from ASF got 205 votes. As many as 187 votes were marked as NOTA (none of the above).

For the vice-president’s post, Archit Garg from NSUI, the student wing of Indian National Congress (INC), secured 3,631 votes, defeating his closest opponent Karandeep Singh (2,596 votes) by 1,035 votes. Abhishek Kapoor of ABVP got 1,936 votes; Karanveer Kumar (Karan Bhatti) of Sath party got 1,567 votes and Shivani got 136 votes.

The post of PUCSC secretary was secured by Vineet Yadav of INSO (Indian National Students Organization), an affiliate of Jannayak Janta Party, and founded by Ajay Singh Chautala. Yadav got 3,298 votes while Jashanpreet Singh of SOPU (Student Organisation of Panjab University) bagged 2,939 votes; Paras Prashar of NSUI got 2,596 votes; and Shivandan Rikhee of ABVP got 961 votes.

Lastly, the post of joint secretary was won by Jasvinder Rana of ABVP, the student wing affiliated to right-wing outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Rana secured 3,489 votes while Rohit (Sharma) of HPSU (Himachal Pradesh Students Union) got 2,705 votes; Amit Banga of PUSU (Panjab University Students Union) got 1,073 votes; Tejasvi of ISO (Indian Student Organisation) got 1,008 votes; Shubham of HSA (Hindustan Students Association) got 659 votes and Yash Kapasiya of NSUI got 621 votes.

Voting began at 9.30 am and by 1 pm the counting of votes was started in the gymnasium hall. The final results were out by 7.30 pm.

Amit Chauhan, DSW (Dean Students Welfare), said, “We are satisfied that the student elections have been conducted in a peaceful manner. This is the result of continuous meetings with the student councils and their leaders which were conducted before elections.”

350 cops on duty at PU

Around 350 policemen were deployed on the Panjab University campus during the student elections on Thursday.

DSP (Central), Gurmukh Singh, Sector 11 SHO and PU police post incharge Naveen Kumar remained on their toes with the other police force to avoid any untoward incident.

“It’s been a week now. We have been coming to PU for duty early in the morning, around 6 am and had been leaving around 2 am,” said a constable deployed on the PU campus.

The area near the gymnasium hall, where the counting of votes was done, was barricaded by the police, and no one was allowed to pass without permission. The police kept a tight vigil over the student leaders and party workers.

The rebel factor

Soon after the results were declared, supporters of Anurag Dalal raised slogans in favour of Anurag Dalal and cheered for Sikandar Boora, a rebel of NSUI (National Students Union of India), who had recently resigned from the state NSUI president’s post.

Sources said that Boora didn’t agree to the NSUI’s nomination of Rahul Nain for the president’s post. In protest, he resigned from the NSUI and formed a Democratic Alliance with the other rebels of NSUI and SOI, and got Anurag Dalal nominated for the president’s post.

According to sources, former NSUI leaders Manish Boora, Karan Randhawa, Pargat Brar, Amish, Manpreet Mahal; and former SOI leader Harkirat Sohal too supported Anurag Dalal.