After a span of almost thirty years, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) has elected its first Dalit president from the Left-backed groups. The united Left emerged victorious in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students’ Union elections, securing all four central seats – president, vice president, general secretary, and joint secretary. Dhananjay, a PhD student hailing from Bihar, has been chosen as the president of JNUSU.
In the recent elections following a four-year break, Dhananjay of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) emerged victorious in the race for JNUSU president with 2,598 votes, defeating Umesh C Ajmeera of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) who garnered 1,676 votes.
Hailing from Gaya, Bihar, Dhananjay is the first Dalit president from the Left since Batti Lal Bairwa’s presidency in 1996-97. He, now president of JNU students’ union will prioritize the safety of women on campus, addressing fund cuts, increasing scholarships, and resolving infrastructural and water crisis
19 candidates competed for positions on the central panel of JNUSU, with 8 candidates contesting for the president. Avijit Ghosh (Left) won the vice-president’s position by defeating Deepika Sharma (ABVP) with a margin of 927 votes. Priyanshi Arya (Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association, backed by the Left) secured the general secretary’s position by defeating Arjun Anand (ABVP) with a margin of 926 votes. Mohammad Sajid (Left) emerged victorious in the race for joint secretary by defeating Govind Dangi (ABVP) with a margin of 508 votes.
The recent 4-0 victory of the Left, despite a strong competition from ABVP, reaffirms JNU’s status as a stronghold of the Left. The JNU polls recorded an impressive 73 % voter turnout on Friday.
