SP’s Bihar entry plan: Push for revival of student unions

After assuming power in UP this year,the SP has again set its sights on Bihar.

But instead of relying on party turncoats,the SP has decided to cultivate its own base and reach them on the basis of issues. Student politics was suspended in Bihar for the past three decades. The last election was held in Patna University in 1984,with Shambhu Sharma being elected as its president. In Magadh University,the last election was held in 1980.

Former chief minister Lalu Prasad was the president of Patna University in 1973,with present Deputy CM and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi as his general secretary. The current health minister of Bihar,Ashwani Choubey,too,was president of Patna University in 1977. However,since 1984,there had been no government initiative to hold student polls.

On the other hand,students’ union elections have always been a potent weapon of the SP. Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had revived such elections in UP. The SP now plans to make a mark in Bihar by galvanising students and youths. This time,Akhilesh is personally supervising the operations.

The party plans to organise programmes in various universities of Bihar. The Samajwadi Chatra Sabha has been entrusted with the task of mobilising support among the students.

“After the new academic session begins,we will visit university campuses. Our unit has already been constituted and we are getting good response from students. We are relying on direct interaction with the students,” said Rajiv Pandey,former president of Gorakhpur University,who has been entrusted the job of preparing the ground in Bihar universities. The office-bearers of SCS,too,have been made active in Bihar.