JNUSU poll: Left wins 3 posts, ABVP takes 1 despite Pahalgam attack, vote split

In a closely fought contest, the AISA-led Left alliance bagged three of the four central panel posts in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) elections, while the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) secured one post.

The Left's victory is particularly significant as there were fears of a split in its vote base this time, with the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) contesting separately for the first time in years.

CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya congratulated the Left on its victory saying, "A very significant inspiring victory at a time of escalating fascist offensive and communal hate".

However, while AISA allied with the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA) and the Progressive Students’ Association (PSA), the ABVP fought independently.

It is worth highlighting that the elections took place against the backdrop of heightened nationalist sentiment on campus following the terror attack in Pahalgam. The ABVP attempted to capitalise on this atmosphere to garner votes. Despite this, the Left's victory highlights that JNU students rejected right-wing politics and successfully resisted the ideological onslaught.

Results overview:

• President: Nitish Kumar (AISA) won with 1,702 votes, defeating ABVP’s Shikha Swaraj (1,430 votes). SFI-backed Tayabba Ahmed finished third with 918 votes.

• Vice-president: Manisha (Democratic Students' Federation - DSF) secured the post with 1,150 votes, narrowly defeating ABVP’s Nittu Goutham (1,116 votes).

• General secretary: Munteha Fatima (DSF) clinched victory with 1,520 votes, edging past ABVP’s Kunal Rai, who garnered 1,406 votes.

• Joint secretary: Vaibhav Meena (ABVP) won with 1,518 votes, defeating AISA’s Naresh Kumar, marking ABVP's first central panel victory since 2015-16 when Saurabh Sharma won the same post.

The Left termed its victory a rejection of the government's New Education Policy (NEP), which, it argued, undermines public-funded education and marginalised communities.

"This is a victory of the mandate against a government that has been trying to destroy the campus. It’s a mandate against the current government’s policies," said newly elected president, Nitish Kumar.

Hailing the performance, AISA acknowledged concern over ABVP’s narrow win for the joint secretary post. "It is indeed a matter of concern that the ABVP has won the joint secretary post with a margin of 85 votes. Despite structural assaults and the corruption of the admission process to push BJP loyalists into faculty positions, the Left has reaffirmed its leadership in JNUSU," AISA said in a statement.

Meanwhile, ABVP celebrated its win as a "historic shift" in JNU’s politics.
"This victory is proof of the students' faith in nationalist thinking and a rejection of the Left’s ideological tyranny. It marks a democratic revolution at JNU," the ABVP said.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya called the AVBP's victory "unprecedented". Voter turnout was slightly lower than the 73 per cent recorded in 2023 but remained among the highest since 2012. Twenty-nine candidates contested the four central panel posts, and around 200 candidates vied for 44 councillor seats.