Chaos Erupts in Odisha Colleges Over Student Union Election Results
Disruptions Mark Oath-Taking Ceremonies
In Bhubaneswar, Brahmapur, and Kendujhar, the oath-taking ceremonies for student unions faced significant disruptions on Friday due to disputes over election results. Reports of protests, clashes, and vandalism emerged from various colleges.
Students voiced concerns regarding alleged irregularities in the election process and vote counting, calling for recounts, new elections, and thorough investigations into the results.
At Hinjilicut Autonomous College in Ganjam district, the oath-taking event was canceled following a physical confrontation between rival student groups. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) secured the president's position, while the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) claimed all other roles. In response to the unrest, police detained five individuals, and college officials declared a holiday, instructing students to leave the campus and hostels as a precaution. The situation stabilized after police intervention.
Tensions also flared at Harekrushna Mahatab Degree College in Kupari, Baleshwar district, where students reportedly vandalized property in protest against a planned selection process. They demanded its cancellation, leading to intervention from local authorities to calm the situation.
At Kendrapada Autonomous College, ABVP supporters protested late Thursday, alleging vote counting irregularities and demanding a recount. Defeated presidential candidate Tulasi Mallik claimed her team was leading until the final counting round, only to see the results shift against them. She also alleged that their counting agent was barred from the venue and that blank ballots were discovered in a booth. The college administration had not responded to these claims at the time of reporting.
In Kalahandi district, students from Thuamul Rampur Government Degree College approached local officials seeking the annulment of election results and new elections. They accused the college of violating Lyngdoh Committee guidelines and infringing on their voting rights. The results were announced on October 15 without adequate explanation of the guidelines, despite prior invitations for nominations. The students demanded an impartial investigation and fresh elections, staging a sit-in and boycotting the oath-taking ceremony while submitting a complaint to the state Higher Education Department.
Protests were also noted at Hatadihi Regional College in Kendujhar and Laxmi Narayan Sahu Mahavidyalaya in Jagatpur, Kataka, where students called for vote recounts or rechecks. At Hatadihi, BCJD supporters allegedly damaged property and blocked roads following the announcement of an ABVP candidate's victory, disrupting traffic. Police were dispatched to manage the situation. In Jagatpur, the defeat of an ABVP candidate led to uproar among supporters demanding a vote recheck.
Despite these incidents, Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra reported that student union elections were conducted in approximately 3,000 colleges across Odisha, with most institutions concluding peacefully, aside from a few minor disturbances. He commended the collaboration between police, college authorities, and student leaders in preventing outsiders with violent histories from entering campuses.
Mishra praised the students and their leaders for facilitating largely peaceful elections and assured that investigations would continue into cases involving non-students named in FIRs, with appropriate actions based on CCTV evidence.