In a first, Congress’s NSUI wins Patna University students’ union president post
The result marks a turnaround for NSUI, which had finished second in the previous two PUSU elections. Its parent organisation, the Congress, had also fared badly in last year’s Bihar elections, winning just six Assembly seats.
In the previous election, ABVP had fielded Maithili Mrinalini from Women’s College, and strong polling at the institution had contributed to her victory.
The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the students’ wing of the Congress, has won the president’s post in the Patna University Students’ Union (PUSU) elections for the first time, taking over from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
NSUI’s Shantanu Shekhar emerged victorious in the contest for the president’s post, defeating Chhatra Janata Dal (United) nominee Prince Kumar by a margin of around 1,000 votes. NSUI also secured the general secretary’s post, with Khushi Kumari bagging the win.
The result marks a turnaround for NSUI, which had finished second in the previous two PUSU elections. Its parent organisation, the Congress, had also fared dismally in last year’s Bihar elections, winning just six Assembly seats.
During his campaign, newly elected PUSU president Shekhar had promised to secure a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to economically weaker students. The proposal appeared to resonate with sections of the electorate, including students of the Women’s College.
In the previous election, ABVP had fielded Maithili Mrinalini from Women’s College, and strong polling at the institution had contributed to her victory. ABVP repeated the strategy this year, but NSUI leaders said the promise of financial support “weighed heavily” in influencing women voters.
The election also saw the re-emergence of the “Pappu Yadav factor” in campus politics. Leaders associated with Pappu Yadav played an active role in campaigning for Shekhar. Manish Yadav, who had won the president’s post in 2019 from Pappu Yadav’s party, and Gautam Anand, a 2018 candidate, were among those who campaigned for the NSUI nominee.
In addition, Shashwat Shekhar and Manoranjan Raja, who had contested in the past two elections and had given tough fights to JD(U) and ABVP candidates, also supported Shantanu Shekhar’s campaign this time.
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With victories in both the president and general secretary posts, NSUI’s performance in the Patna University elections marks a notable shift in the campus political landscape, ending ABVP’s hold on the top position and signalling a reconfiguration of student alliances in the state capital’s premier university despite the NDA’s landslide victory in the recent Assembly elections.
Himanshu Harsh is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, currently leading on-the-ground coverage in Bihar. With a reporting career rooted in the complexities of the National Capital Region (NCR), Himanshu specializes in the critical intersection of law, crime, and civic governance.
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