JNU student union polls: Nomination of NSUI’s presidential candidate cancelled

According to the NSUI members at the university, the nomination of Vikas Yadav was cancelled without citing any reason.

Days ahead of the Jawaharlal Nehru University students’ union election, the varsity administration on Friday cancelled the nomination of the presidential candidate fielded by Congress’s student wing National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).

The administrative block of the Jawaharlal Nehru University. (Ronjoy Gogoi/HT Photo)

According to the NSUI members at the university, the nomination was cancelled without citing any reason. “We have not been told the reason behind the cancellation our candidate’s nomination. We were just sent an email by the Dean of Students Welfare (DSW) saying that the candidature of Vikas Yadav was cancelled,” said Sunny Mehta, NSUI coordinator at JNU.

NSUI’s national in-charge Ruchi Gupta alleged that the decision has been taken under “political influence”. “They had cleared his nomination earlier after scrutinising his records. If they had any issue with his nomination, they should have highlighted it earlier. They had allowed him to participate and campaign also. What’s the point of all the scrutiny?” she said.

While the members of JNU Election Commission (JNUEC) said the matter was yet to be finalised, the DSW officials refused to comment on it.

Later in the evening, the NSUI members at JNU held a protest outside the Vice Chancellor’s residence. “We will not leave the protest site till we are given a valid reason behind the move,” Mehta said.

Last year, the candidature of NSUI’s presidential candidate Rocky Tuseed was cancelled by the Delhi University (DU) administration. Afterwards, the students group had moved to the Delhi High Court and restored his nomination. Tusheed won the top post in the DU Students Union (DUSU).