On the final day of student council campaigning, candidates hit the gates and marched from class to class to distribute their panel codes before the Saturday deadline. Yet, the high-energy campus atmosphere typical of past election seasons was missing. With colleges thin on attendance due to Friday’s Raksha Bandhan holiday, the final push ahead of Monday’s voting remained unusually quiet.
Other than the usual campaigning, students went on to celebrate festivals as part of approaching students. With Teej festival during the election time, a party went on to distribute henna and chocolate to female students. On the eve of Raksha Bandhan, in DAV College, Sector 10, Post Graduate Government College, Sector 11, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26 and GGDSD College, Sector 32 candidates of SOI, NSUI, HIMSU, PUSU, ISO, SDCU, KCSU, CSF got Rakhi tied from students and gave them chocolates. One of the candidates was seen visiting Mansa Devi temple, seeking blessings before elections and posting the same on their party’s social media page.
Compared to other times, where over 100 candidates used to contest for student council elections, this time there are 76 in the race in eight colleges. Last time, there were 110 candidates and women candidates in race for presidential post unlike current time when no female has fielded her nomination for the top council post.
For the student council elections 39,386 students are set to vote in eight city colleges on Monday with 76 candidates contesting for four posts in each institute. The number of voters is comparatively low from last year’s 43860 voters when elections had taken place in 9 colleges.
{{/usCountry}}For the student council elections 39,386 students are set to vote in eight city colleges on Monday with 76 candidates contesting for four posts in each institute. The number of voters is comparatively low from last year’s 43860 voters when elections had taken place in 9 colleges.
{{/usCountry}}Due to the long weekend, student parties fear low voter turn out as many voters had gone home for Raksha Bandhan celebrations. Last year, the voter turn out in all colleges was less than 30%. The voter turnout was less due to rain on election day as well and this time long weekend cast a shadow on voter turnout.
Among the eight colleges, three are girls’ and five co-educational institutes. The three girls’ colleges are Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 11, Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 42 and Dev Samaj College for Women, Sector 45 and their total strength is 8176.
In co-educational colleges, the number of male students is more in DAV College, Sector 10, Post Graduate Government College, Sector 46 and Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26 outnumber women students while GGDSD College, Sector 32 and Post Graduate Government College, Sector 11 has more female students in it.
Except Dev Samaj College for Women, and PGGCG-42, all other colleges have parties’ bases in it. In GGDSD College, the fight is between Independent Student Front (ISF) and Sanatan Dharam College Union (SDCU). Last year, ISF’s candidate won the presidential post. SDCU is in alliance with National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and Himachal Students Union (HIMSU). ISF has an alliance with the Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) and Himachal Pradesh Students Union (HPSU).
In DAV College, Sector 10, other than Hindustan Student Association (HSA) and Student Organisation of India, that wins presidential post on alternate years, NSUI is also in race for the post in an alliance with Indian National Students Organisation (INSO). SOI is in alliance with Himachal Students Union and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.
In PGGC-10, Panjab University Students’ Organisation is contesting for president’s post in alliance with SOI, HIMSU and Independent Student Front. The other main contender in PGGC-11 is HSA fielding their candidate for president post in alliance with ABVP, HPSU and independent candidate Zoban Mittal for joint secretary and NSUI is contesting for vice president post alone. In SGGSC-26, the competition is between College Student Front and Khalsa College Student Union.
In PGGCG-11, ABVP is contesting on full panel, Gandhi Group of Student Union, on three posts, president, vice president and general secretary. SOI is contesting in alliance with INSO.