United Left Panel Sweeps JNU Student Union Elections, Dalit President Elected

Amidst the vibrant chants of ‘Lal Salaam’ and ‘Jai Bhim’, the United Left panel achieved a sweeping victory in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) elections. The coalition, comprising the All India Students’ Association (AISA), the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the Democratic Students Federation (DSF), and the All India Students’ Federation (AISF), secured all four central panel posts. It marked a significant return of the students’ union after a four-year hiatus.

In the keenly contested polls, Dhananjay from the AISA emerged victorious in the presidential race with 2,598 votes, defeating the ABVP candidate Umesh C Ajmeera who secured 1,676 votes. Dhananjay, hailing from Gaya, Bihar, made history by becoming the first Dalit president from the Left after two decades.

Expressing gratitude for the students’ overwhelming support, Dhananjay highlighted the rejection of hate politics and violence by the students as reflected in the election results. The safety of women on campus, infrastructural concerns, scholarship hikes, and addressing fund cuts are among the top priorities outlined by the new JNUSU leadership.

Avijit Ghosh of the SFI clinched the vice-president post decisively with 2,409 votes, surpassing ABVP’s Deepika Sharma who received 1,482 votes. For the general secretary position, Priyanshi Arya from BAPSA, supported by the Left, emerged victorious with 2,887 votes, defeating ABVP’s Arjun Anand by a significant margin.

The election committee announced Mohammad Sajid from the AISF as the winner of the joint secretary post, securing 2,574 votes. The Left extended its support to BAPSA’s Priyanshi Arya after the disqualification of their candidate Swati Singh by the election committee.

The JNUSU election saw a voter turnout of 73%, the highest in the past 12 years, reflecting the enthusiasm and engagement of the student body. With the Left panel’s dominant performance, the JNU campus continues its legacy as a stronghold of Left ideology.