The dates for student council elections in city colleges are yet to be announced but campaigning through car rallies, social media outreach and fresher parties has already begun. Election activities are proactively seen in co-ed colleges, majorly in DAV College, Sector 10, Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma College (GGDSD) College, Sector 32, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26; and Post Graduate Government College, Sector 11. Girls’ colleges are witnessing little activity.
The trend of car rallies and fresher parties remains strong in co-ed colleges. The Independent Student Front (ISF) in GGDSD College is set to throw a freshers’ party on Thursday for BA and BVOC students in Mohali Phase 9. This is the second such party to be thrown by the student organisation with a singer set to perform. One party has already been organised, displaying a poster of its presidential candidate Ekamdeep Singh, in the club. Another student organisation — Sanatan Dharam College Union (SDCU) — will hold a freshers’ party in Sector 5, Panchkula, on Friday. The SDCU and the ISF are the main contenders in SD College with other parties fighting in alliance with them.
Tejveer Singh, a BA student working for SDCU said “Our college don’t organise fresher’s parties and students demand to hold such events. Funds are collected from students and the presidential candidate contribute some amount for the same. Fresher party is an unofficial event held for students’ entertainment and socialisation.’
Holding car rallies and sharing videos on social media is another appealing factor for student organisations. Students not only take out car rallies but also boast about them on their social media pages.pages. The social media accounts of the National Student Union of India (NSUI) of DAV, ISF and SDCU of GGDSD college, Hindustan Student Association (HSA) in DAV college and PGGC-11 have uploaded videos of dozens of cars moving together with the banner of their presidential candidates. While car rallies have been an integral part of college elections especially for student organisations associated with national parties, social media has provided a way to amplify them.
{{/usCountry}}Holding car rallies and sharing videos on social media is another appealing factor for student organisations. Students not only take out car rallies but also boast about them on their social media pages.pages. The social media accounts of the National Student Union of India (NSUI) of DAV, ISF and SDCU of GGDSD college, Hindustan Student Association (HSA) in DAV college and PGGC-11 have uploaded videos of dozens of cars moving together with the banner of their presidential candidates. While car rallies have been an integral part of college elections especially for student organisations associated with national parties, social media has provided a way to amplify them.
{{/usCountry}}So far, manifestos have not yet been released. The parties are in the process of announcing their candidates and continue to do groundwork to understand student issues and engage with them. Rubal Singh Sandhu, former vice president of DAV college student council and president of NSUI Panipat said “Other than approaching students on ground, social media campaigns are also being run on the same front. 50% work is being done online and other half is done by approaching students directly.” On talking about car rallies and fresher’s party, Sandhu denied carrying any such activities and focused only on student issues.
Ranbir Rana, national president of Student Organisation of India (SOI) looking after student council election in colleges said “Class to class interactions are going on and we are emphasising on student issues, be it infrastructure of hostels, girls safety or transportation. We are the only party that calls for an open debate and can show the work SOI has done over the years. The campaign is going all organic, based on students’ issues.” In another showcase of campaigning, Khalsa College Student Union (KCSU) in SGGS college, Sector 26 had invited star cast of Punjabi movie ‘Judaa’ for their promotion as well as to appeal for votes for KCSU.