Left unity sweeps JNUSU polls, reclaims campus stronghold

This comes after six months after the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), in April, marked its first victory in JNUSU polls in a decade by securing the post of joint secretary.

The Left Unity has reclaimed dominance in the Jawaharlal Nehru University students’ union (JNUSU) election, sweeping all four central panel positions, results said on Thursday. This comes after six months after the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), in April, marked its first victory in JNUSU polls in a decade by securing the post of joint secretary.

This year, around 9,043 students were eligible to vote. The polls recorded a 67% turnout, slightly lower than the previous election’s 70%. (HT photo)

The Left alliance, comprising the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF) swept the polls, reaffirming the Left’s long standing dominance on the campus.

Aditi Mishra from AISA, who had contested for the post of president, defeated ABVP’s Vikas Patel by a margin of 449 votes. Mishra received 1,937 votes, against Patel’s 1,488 votes.

Mishra, who is from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, is a PhD scholar at the Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory (CCPPT) at the School of International Studies (SIS). Her research topic is ‘Gendered violence and the means in which women of Uttar Pradesh have been mounting a resistance to it since 2012.’

Her political career, so far, has been defined by a steadfast commitment and dedication to the struggle for gender justice, according to AISA activists.

Meanwhile, Kizhakoot Gopika Babu from the Left alliance bagged the vice-president’s post after securing 3,101 votes. ABVP’s Tanya Kumari lost by a wide margin of 1,314 votes.

Gopika, member of JNU’s SFI unit, is a PhD Student at the Centre for Study of Law and Governance at the School of Social Sciences (SSS).

Gopika joined JNU in 2022 as an MA Sociology student and has been actively involved in progressive student movements since her undergraduate days at Miranda House college, Delhi University. She was also at the forefront of the movement for the opening of the new Barak hostel at JNU as well as for conducting the JNUSU elections 2024-25 which had been stalled.

Sunil Yadav and Danish Ali won the posts of general secretary and joint secretary after defeating their right wing rivals Rajeshwar Kant Dubey and Anuj, who goes by one name, respectively.

Yadav secured a total of 2,005 votes against ABVP‘s Dubey who secured 1,901 votes. Ali won the joint secretary post with a margin of 286 votes.

Yadav, a DSF member, is also a PhD scholar from SIS. He is a first-generation graduate from Bedipur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district.

The joint secretary of the new JNUSU, Danish Ali, is a first year PhD student from SSS and hails from the small village of Bandarbarru, in Narsinghpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

AISA activists said Ali’s political journey represents the most radical strand of left politics with fierce opposition to feudal and casteist violence.

Following her victory, Ali said, “This is the victory of the students of the campus. This shows that they reject the politics of hate...The students of the campus will never bow down...We will raise our voice against fund cut”

This year, around 9,043 students were eligible to vote. The polls recorded a 67% turnout, slightly lower than the previous election’s 70%.

The Left Unity’s recent success in the JNUSU elections reaffirms its long-standing dominance and deep-rooted presence in JNU’s political landscape.