University of Hyderabad students’ union poll results today; 2 Dalit queer persons in fray for first time

Though 5,300 students were eligible to cast their vote, the voter turnout was recorded at over 76 per cent. The contest is for nine central panel seats, including three members of the Internal Complaints Committee (or gender sensitisation committee against sexual harassment), 24 school board members and 30 school councillors.

Condemn the brutal attack by ABVP goons on SFI comrades
Today, on the night of the union election polling day,SFI comrades were brutally attacked by ABVP goons inside the Mens hostel F.
The incident started with ABVP members in a drunken state abusing and targeting our comrades. pic.twitter.com/mn8GqihBpD

— SFI HCU Unit (@SfiHcu) February 24, 2023

Expressing confidence while stating that the university’s students movement is at the cusp of a historic moment, Prajwal Gaikwad, the presidential candidate of ASA-DSU-SFI (Ambedkar Students Association, Dalit Students Union and the Students’ Federation of India) said that for the first time, six Dalits including a Dalit queer person and a Dalit transgender woman, a Christian man and a tribal woman are contesting for the nine posts of a central panel. He is confident that the students saw through the systematic queerphobic attack through wild allegations against him in the run-up to the elections.

Gaikwad, a PhD scholar in Gender Studies, says his panel sought votes on a range of issues from full implementation of the reservation system to rejuvenation of students’ grievance redressal cells. “There is a bureaucratic lag whenever a student has any work with the administration. This is undignified and drags on for days and months. We want to bring a single window system that will facilitate a student’s interaction with the administration,” he says, adding that his panel has promised to fight against the changing demographic in the campus and keep alive the purpose of encouraging first-generation learners and preference to the local Telugu populace.

SFI has unleashed violence against the tribal students and karyakartas of ABVP HCU. They have used sharp objects like knife. We condemn this attack against our karyakartas. @ABVPVoice @ABVPTelangana pic.twitter.com/DcKfgTdZ6O

— ABVP HCU (@abvpuoh) February 24, 2023

The ABVP-OBCF-SLVD (Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad, Other Backward Classes Federation, and the Sevalal Vidhyarthi Dal) panel campaigned by calling out the failures of the outgoing students union led by ASA-DSU-SFI besides listing out many promises for change. With its tagline of ‘envision to empower’, the ABVP-led panel said the removal of a seditious political culture and a pseudo cause for social justice that is growing in the campus, and re-establishing order, responsibility and accountability on the varsity’s administration as its major goals. “We are confident we will win,” said Balakrishna, a PhD scholar in the Communication department, who is contesting for the presidential post.

Mohammed Muhsin, a PhD scholar in Finance, contesting as the presidential candidate for the Alliance for Social Democracy, said their main agenda is to fight fascist forces on campus and ensure social justice. The front is a combination of BSF (Bahujan Students Front, Fraternity Movement, MSF (Muslim Students Federation)-NSUI (National Students Union of India) and TSF (Tribal Students Forum). “We are not a third front but all of us who have been excluded from political spaces decided to come together in our fight for inclusiveness and democratic political spaces. The narrative that we split the votes against the ABVP is not taken seriously by students,” said Muhsin, exuding confidence that they would witness a record win.

Also in the fray are the Youth for Inclusive and Sustainable Society (YISS) and AISA (All India Students’ Association).