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Aayush Khatkar leads AAPsurge in Panjab University
Dream debut for party’s student wing as it wins president’s post in Panjab University Campus Students’ Council; NSUI bags two posts, one goes to ABVP-led alliance; an ABVP turncoat, Khatkar, defeated Harish Gujjar of RSS’s student outfit, by 660 votes, leading the CYSS to victory on the presidential post in its maiden elections
Aayush Khatkar, 23, of Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), the student wing of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is the new president of the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC).
An ABVP turncoat, Khatkar, defeated Harish Gujjar of RSS’s student outfit, by 660 votes, leading the CYSS to victory on the presidential post in its maiden elections. The party had seen a “re-launch” merely 40 days ahead of polls. It had been initially launched in January 2020 but faded away as no elections were held for the past two years owing to the pandemic.
The National Students Union of India (NSUI) managed to grab two posts with its candidates Harshdeep Singh Batth being elected the vice-president and Manish Bora elected the joint secretary.
The post of the secretary went to Pravesh Bishnoi, the joint candidate of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)-led alliance. Bishnoi is a member of the Indian National Students’ Organisation (INSO) which contested the polls in alliance with ABVP and two other student bodies.
As counting got off to start, a fierce neck-and-neck fight was witnessed between Khatkar and ABVP’s Harish Gujjar but the former managed to take a lead. Gujjar polled 2,052 votes.
NSUI’s presidential candidate Gurwinder Singh, who stood at the third place, managed to get 1,582 votes. NSUI had managed to win three posts – excluding the president’s post – in the previous student body elections.
SOI, PUSU, SFS fail to impress
In the 2019 elections, Chetan Chaudhary of the Student Organisation of India (SOI) had been elected the campus president. SOI is the student outfit of Shiromani Akali Dal, a major force in Punjab. The year before, Kanupriya from Students for Society (SFS) had become the first woman president of PUCSC in 2018. Both parties could not secure even a single seat this time.
Meanwhile, Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) and Punjab Students Union (PSU-Lalkaar) also managed to get only 408 and 411 votes respectively.
This year, there were two women presidential candidates -- Shivali from PUSU and Bhawanjot Kaur from SFS, but both figured at the bottom of the voting chart.
66.1% turnout registered
Though students leaders were expecting a low turnout this time, owing to festival season, a voter turnout of 66.1% was registered this time, much to everyone’s surprise. Polling remained largely peaceful.
Students were seen flocking at their respective departments right from
9.30am. After 12pm, the atmosphere at the Student Centre turned fervent as the students started assembling there, waiting for the results. As the counting of votes began around 2.30pm at the gymnasium hall, the students turned to social media to get updates.
‘Will take up students issues, act as bridge between PU, Punjab govt’
A student of PU’s University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS), Khatkar, who hails from Jind in Haryana, said he will represent the whole student community and work for their welfare. “I will stand for the rights of students. There are many issues, including annual fee hikes, and the need to construct more hostels that we will try to address. Women’s safety on campus will be our top priority,” he said.
Khatkar who joined ABVP in 2019 left the party after farmers’ protests. He said he will now act as a bridge between PU and the Punjab government.
Reacting to the election results, he said, “I was expecting a triangular contest. I got a lot of support from UILS and science departments.”
With eight candidates contesting for the president’s post this time, it was a multi-cornered contest this time round.
