The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is abuzz with activity as it gears up for the JNUSU elections of 2024, scheduled for March 22. This marks the first student union election since 2019, and over 7,700 students are expected to exercise their franchise. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is trying hard to dent the left stronghold in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU).
The saffron organisation has started an aggressive campaign for the same. In a bid to open its account in the JNUSU 2024 elections, the ABVP has been diligently reaching out to the student body, conducting door-to-door campaigns across hostels and academic blocks. The organisation aims to highlight its contributions to student welfare over the past five years, focusing on improvements in campus facilities, admission processes, examination systems, results, hostel accommodations, and fellowship provisions.
The ABVP’s central panel roster includes Umesh Chandra Ajmera for President, Deepika Sharma for Vice President, Arjun Anand for Secretary, and Govind Dangi for Joint Secretary. On the other hand, the left unity has announced Dhananjya Kumar of AISA for President, Abhijeet of SFI for Vice President, Swati Singh of DSF for Secretary, and Md Sajid of AISF for Joint Secretary positions.
Speaking on this, Vikas Patel, secretary, ABVP JNU, said, “ABVP is fully prepared for the JNUSU elections. Through the potential JNUSU candidates who understand the issues among the students, we will keep a student-centric agenda for JNU students. Based on dialogue with students, ABVP will soon release its manifesto for a responsible and effective JNUSU”.
On the other hand, the left parties are also striving hard to retain their bastion in JNUSU. In order to counter the ABVP’s dominance, the left organisations AISA, SFI, DSF, and AISF have once again competed under the banner of the Left Unity.
Both the left and the ABVP are getting a good response during the campaign. Left parties are sticking to the traditional one-to-one meetings, organising campaigns by singing, and apart from JNU issues, they are also voicing national issues like CAA, electoral bonds, and connecting JNUSU to the central BJP government, while ABVP is sticking to JNU issues.
They have released two papers showcasing the campus issues raised and resolved by ABVP’s efforts. Since the elections would be conducted after a hiatus of four years, the left organisations, which had the advantage of having a strong ideological cadre, have faded due to the gap in the electoral process.
However, ABVP has gained significantly in terms of their overall presence on campus by organising various seminars and events on issues related to nationalism, including the recent special screening of the ‘Bastar’ movie, which highlights the issue of naxalism in the country. Krishna, a Master’s student, said, “There is no doubt about increasing ABVP’s presence on campus, and they have tried to add new students to their side, and this may yield electoral gain for them, but the left organisations are still stronger.” He added that the election has now moved to an interesting contest between the left and right. Apart from the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Joint Secretary, elections are also to be held for 42 councillors in the JNUSU elections.