In a historic victory, Jawaharlal Nehru University students elected their first Dalit president from a Left-wing alliance, ending a nearly 30-year wait.
The JNUSU elections took place after a gap of four years. Dhananjay, representing the Left-affiliated All India Students' Association (AISA), emerged victorious in the presidential race with a significant margin. He garnered 2,598 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Umesh C Ajmeera of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), who secured 1,676 votes.
Who is Dhananjay?
In a landmark achievement, Dhananjay, a student who hails from Gaya, Bihar, becomes the first Left-backed Dalit president of JNUSU in nearly three decades. This victory marks a significant milestone for Dalit representation in student unions.
During his poll campaign, the PhD scholar from JNU's School of Arts and Aesthetics highlighted the burden of rising fees due to HEFA loans. He vowed to fight for improved water, health, and infrastructure on campus, and advocated for the release of student leaders facing sedition charges.
"The JNU students' victory is a referendum that they reject the politics of violence and hatred. Once more, the students have demonstrated their faith in us. We'll keep pursuing issues that affect students and fighting for their rights," he told PTI.
"The safety of women on campus, fund cuts, scholarship hike, infrastructural and water crisis are among the top priorities of the students union to begin with," Dhananjay stated, as per PTI.
Clean Sweep from Left
The Students' Federation of India (SFI) candidate, Avijit Ghosh, secured a convincing victory in the JNUSU vice-presidential race. He garnered a significant lead of 927 votes over his nearest competitor, Deepika Sharma from the ABVP. Ghosh received 2,409 votes, compared to Sharma's 1,482 votes.
In a landslide victory for the Left-backed Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA), Priyanshi Arya emerged triumphant in the JNUSU general secretary election. Arya secured a commanding lead of 926 votes over her closest competitor, Arjun Anand of the ABVP. She garnered a total of 2,887 votes, compared to Anand's 1,961 votes.
The Left secured a clean sweep in the JNUSU elections, with Mohammad Sajid clinching the joint secretary position by a margin of 508 votes, the narrowest victory among the Left candidates. This win completes the domination of the United Left panel, comprised of AISA, DSF, SFI, and AISF.
The high turnout of 73% marked the highest student participation in JNUSU elections over the past twelve years, underlining the strong engagement with this year's polls.
(With inputs from PTI)
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