Chandigarh, Sep 07 : As Panjab University students voted for their council on the main campus and in colleges in Chandigarh on Thursday, the fight on the campus was initially tight between Congress wing National Students Union of India (NSUI) and homegrown maverick Students for Society (SFS). After more than 6,000 of the 9,000 votes polled were counted by 6pm, NSUI was leading on the president’s post with 2,019 votes. The SFS, which was leading initially, was trailing at 1,665, while Panjab University Students’ Union (PUSU), an old-timer, was trailing at 1,156.
The PUSU-led alliance had swept the polls in 2016 but is faction-ridden this time. Ironically, the party had made an alliance with a faction of the NSUI — NSUISF — last year. This time, however, both the NSUI factions got reunited and the Congress student wing, which stood fourth last year, is among the front-runners this time.
Details of other others posts were awaited.
This time, 15,602 students on campus were eligible to vote and decide the fate of 28 candidates vying for the four posts of president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary of Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC). The multi-cornered contest has seven students fighting for the post of president, four for vice-president, eight for secretary and nine for joint secretary.
All eyes are on budding engineers and lawyers who comprise majority of the vote bank. The University Institute of Engineering and Technology has 2,484 students while the University Institute of Legal Studies and the Department of Laws have a combined strength of 2,533 students.
The results are expected to be out by 9pm, but could be delayed, said the authorities.
News Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com
