ABVP claims a major victory in Odisha's student union elections, held after an eight-year hiatus, securing wins in 8 of 13 universities. The BJD has contested these claims, accusing the BJP government of spreading misinformation and misusing power.
ABVP Claims Major Victory in Odisha Student Polls
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) claimed victory in eight of the 13 state universities in the student union elections held in Odisha, with the organisation’s state secretary, Diptimayee Pratihari, saying it had also won in over 200 colleges and institutions, according to data available so far.
Celebrating the results, ABVP students distributed sweets and thanked the Odisha government, led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, for fulfilling its manifesto promise to hold student union elections after an eight-year gap.
Pratihari said, "The entire electoral process—from filing nominations and identifying candidates to holding 'meet-the-candidate' sessions and the final voting—was conducted in a well-organised manner,” she said. “The Vidyarthi Parishad’s demand for clean and impartial elections was met, and today, the organisation has secured overwhelming support from the student community across the entire state,” she added.
Pratihari said that ABVP had secured student union president positions and got its panels elected in eight of the 13 universities. She also said the organisation was receiving congratulatory messages from across the country.
“The Vidyarthi Parishad performed exceptionally well, winning in 8 out of 13 universities—securing the positions of student union presidents and getting their panels elected. Based on the data available so far, the Vidyarthi Parishad has emerged victorious in over 200 colleges and institutions. We are receiving congratulations from across the country for this success,” she said.
“This victory proves that the youth of Odisha support the Vidyarthi Parishad and stand with the spirit of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' (Victory to Mother India). This has been clearly demonstrated today...’,” Pratihari added.
BJD Alleges BJP Spread False Information
Meanwhile, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and Cuttack Mayor Subas Singh on Saturday criticised the BJP government in Odisha over the recent college and university students’ union elections, claiming that the results reflected the rejection of the ruling party by students, Gen Z and the younger generation.
Singh alleged that the BJP was spreading false and fabricated information about the election results and challenged the party to acknowledge its electoral setbacks across several educational institutions, including Ravenshaw University, Madhusudan University and Ramadevi Women’s University.
“The BJP had failed to win support in several colleges and universities and accused the state government of using police forces, administrative machinery and money to influence the elections. He further alleged irregularities in vote counting, particularly during the late-night hours,” he said.
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