New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) More than 4,600 students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) cast their ballots on Friday to elect their union representatives for the next one year.

A total of 4,639 votes were polled — 58.69 per cent of the total strength — in the election which took place at 14 booths across the campus between 9.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m.

The result for the election will likely be announced on September 11.

The elections were for four central posts of President, Vice President, General Secretary, and Joint Secretary besides several positions for school councillors.

The Left alliance (SFI-AISF-DSF), the radical left All India Students’ Association (AISA), the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the Congress’ National Students Union of India (NSUI), and the Birsa-Ambedkar-Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA) are the prominent groups in the fray.

Apart from these five, two Independent candidates — Farooque Alam and Gaurav Kumar — are in the contest for the President’s post.

Alam, a disabled student, got the loudest cheers during the presidential debate held on Wednesday night when he tore into the other student outfits’ policies with his sarcastic barbs and searing put-downs. An ecstatic crowd gave him a standing ovation.

All student groups have fielded women candidates for the post of President this year. In the fray are Geeta Kumari from AISA, Nidhi Tripathi from the ABVP, Aparajita Raja from the Left, and Shabana Ali has been fielded by the BAPSA, which is known to be a staunch opponent of the Left parties and was only second to them in the previous union election, leaving the ABVP behind.

–IANS
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