Voters show enthusiasm as AMU students’ union polls return after 8 yrs

AMU student union polls returned after an eight-year gap, with turnout above 75% for AMUSU and 62.05% at Women’s College; counting was pending.

Voting for the Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union (AMUSU) and Women’s College Student Union polls took place from 9 am till 5 pm on Thursday, said AMU public relations officer Omar S Peerzada.

Students waiting for their turn in a queue during the polling at AMU on November 5. (Sourced)

Eligible voters stood in queues to cast their vote through ballot papers as enthusiasm was palpable for the student union polls being held at AMU after a gap of 8 years.

Polling percentage at five booths of Women College of AMU saw a 62.05% turnout, while for the AMUSU an estimated over 75% of voters exercised their franchise, university officials said.

Voting ended at 5 pm and counting had not yet begun at the time of filing the report. The results are likely to come late tonight, with counting scheduled to begin after 7 pm. About 25,000 students were listed as voters for these elections.

“Nine candidates, including a woman, are in the fray for the post of president, seven for vice president and three for honorary secretary’s post. As many as 46 students were found eligible for cabinet seats at the AMUSU,” Peerzada said.

“68 candidates are in the race for student representation to AMU Court with one member to be elected from each faculty. For Women College Student Union, six candidates are in the race for president post while 4 are for vice president and 5 for secretary’s post, while 18 women students are in the race for the cabinet seat of WCSU,” Peerzada added.

Female candidates also enthusiastically participated in the AMU student union polls. Amina Irshad, a research scholar, is the lone woman contender for the AMUSU’s president post, while two women candidates are in the fray for vice president post.

Following weeks of protest and a 19-day hunger strike by postgraduate student Yasir Fahad that began from September 21, the AMU authorities on October 9 accepted their demand to hold students’ union polls last held in 2018.

There are 22,000 students/voters at AMU and 4,500 at the Women’s College, said AMU PRO Omar Peerzada. The university appointed Prof Javaid Talib of the law department as chief election officer to conduct the AMU students’ union elections and Prof Nazia Hasan of the department of English, Women’s College, as chief election officer for the undergraduate students’ union of Women’s College for the 2026–2027 academic session.