JNUSU: JNU's first Dalit president in 30 years, as Left sweeps out the ABVP

The Left alliance has swept the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) elections, winning all four posts — president, vice president, general secretary and joint secretary.

The results of the central panel were declared after the final count of 5,656 ballots on Sunday night, 24 March. The election took place on Friday, 22 March.

The JNUSU polls were held after a four-year hiatus after the coronavirus pandemic, with repeated deferments despite demands that they be held in recent years and allegations that the authorities were using it as an excuse to suppress democratic expression.

The United Left alliance — consisting of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Democratic Students' Federation (DSF), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Federation (AISF) — defeated the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in the elections.

AISA's Dhananjay has won the JNUSU president's post by 922 votes. He secured 2,598 votes, while the ABVP's Umesh Chandra Ajmeera got 1,676 votes.

United Left candidate Avijit Ghosh of SFI won the vice president's post by 927 votes. He secured 2,409 votes, while Deepika Sharma of the ABVP got 1,482 votes.

Left candidate Priyanshi Arya of BAPSA won the general secretary's post by 926 votes. She got 2,887 votes, while Arjun Anand of the ABVP secured 1,961 votes.

The Left's Mohammad Sajid won the post of joint secretary by defeating the ABVP’s Govind Dangi by 508 votes. Sajid secured 2,574 votes while Dangi got 2,066 votes.

Dhananjay, who hails from Gaya in Bihar and is the son of a policeman (now retired), is the first Dalit president to be elected since Batti Lal Bairwa, who was elected in 1996–97.

Speaking to PTI after the win, Dhananjay said, "This victory is a referendum by the students of JNU that they reject the politics of hate and violence. The students have once again shown their trust in us. We will continue to fight for their rights and work on issues that concern students.

"The safety of women on campus, fund cuts, scholarship hike, infrastructural and water crisis are among the top priorities of the students union to begin with," he added.

With inputs from PTI and IANS