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PU polls: Unity, personal touch propelled SOI to victory
Senior Akali leaders, student wing’s last campus president Bhim Waraich also helped bolster its poll prospects
As hectic electioneering began for the PU student council elections two weeks ago, the Student Organisation of India (SOI) was believed to be nowhere in the picture.
Founded in 2006, it tasted its first victory on the campus in 2015, but could not sustain the momentum, thanks to multiple controversies surrounding its leaders.
This time around, SOI national president Parminder Brar kept a close eye on the elections. He got himself permanently stationed on the campus a week before polls, stemmed factionalism within local ranks and pumped in all possible resources to snatch a surprising victory.
Behind the scene was SAD senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia, brother-in-law of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who remained in constant touch with the leaders assigned to win the elections for the party.
Three days ago, Majithia held a special meeting in Chandigarh, and asked all major Youth Akali Dal leaders to stay on campus. Bhim Waraich, who scripted party’s first victory here in 2015, was especially called to bolster party’s prospects.
This made a sea change in SOI’s electioneering. They obtained a list of campus students, checked their connection with Punjab and then reached out to each of them, both on the campus as well as at their native places.
MONEY POWER BEHIND WIN, SAY OPPONENTS
However, SOI’s detractors claimed it was money power that helped them emerge victorious. “From organising hill trips to club parties to offering gifts, they used all means to get votes,” claimed Manoj Lubana, an NSUI leader.
On his part, Parminder Brar said their party’s victory was ensured due to their performance in their last tenure. “In fact, we were victims of internal politics at PU with the faculty working only for a particular party. It was our hard work that helped us win this election,” he said.
Senior SOI leader Vicky Middukhera said, “We started with identifying day-to-day issues concerning students and centered our campaign around it. We ensured each voter was personally contacted.”
ALLIANCE WORKED
SOI smartly stitched alliance with the homegrown Panjab University Student Union (PUSU), apart from other regional campus organisations, including Himachal Pardesh Student Union (HPSU), Himachal Student Union (HIMSU) and Indian Students Association (ISA). Although its alliance partners lost in other posts, SOI made sure that the supporters of these parties voted for its presidential candidate.
