JNU Student Union Elections: The polling for the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student union elections will be held tomorrow, November 4, with 9,043 eligible voters set to cast their votes. Three left-wing parties have formed an alliance to contest against the right-wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). On Sunday night, the university's iconic open-air theatre turned into a battleground of ideologies, echoing with fiery slogans and passionate debates among the left, right wings and others.
The left wing includes All India Students' Association (AISA), Democratic Students' Federation (DSF), and Students' Federation of India (SFI). The NSUI, Progressive Students' Association (PSA), Disha Students' Organisation (DSO), and independents have added new layers to the contest, turning this year's campaign into one of JNU's most ideologically diverse in recent memory.
Left Wing And Right Wing Contestants
Right Wing Candidates:
- President - Vikas Patel
- Vice President- Tanya Kumari
- General Secretary- Rajeshwar Kant Dubey
- Joint Secretary- Anuj Damara
Vikas Patel is a third-year PhD research scholar, while Tanya Kumari is pursuing her PhD in Sociology from the Centre for the Study of Social Systems. Rajeshwar Kant Dubey and Anuj Damara are also research scholars at the university.
Left Wing Candidates:
- President - Aditi Mishra, a PhD scholar from the School of International Studies
- Vice President- Kizhakoot Gopika Babu
- General Secretary- Sunil Yadav
- Joint Secretary- Danish Ali
The elections have turned into a major democratic contest. Left-wing presidential candidate Aditi Mishra spoke about issues such as the release of Sonam Wangchuk, Ladakh's environmental concerns, and youth unemployment, saying that young people are being told to "look for temples in mosques instead of jobs."
Meanwhile, right-wing presidential candidate Vikas Patel accused the left of having "ruled and ruined JNU for 50 years." With tempers soaring and ideologies clashing, tomorrow's vote could reshape the very pulse of campus politics.
Total Number Of Candidates Contesting The JNU Elections
A total of seven candidates are contesting for the post of president. The list includes Aditi Mishra, Angad Singh, Raj Ratan Rajoriya, Shinde Vijayalaxmi Vyankat Rao, Shirshava Indu, Vikas Patel, and Vikash.
For the post of vice-president, the contenders are Kizhakoot Gopika Babu, Shaikh Shahnawaz Alam, and Tanya Kumari.
The candidates for general secretary include Gopi Krishnan U, Preeti, Rajeshwar Kant Dubey, Shuaib Khan, and Sunil Yadav, while Anuj, Danish Ali, Kuldeep Ojha, Manmohan Mitruka, and Ravi Raj are in the race for joint secretary.
JNU's Left Dominance Over the Years
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has traditionally been a stronghold of the Left alliance. In the 2024-25 JNUSU elections, Left-backed groups secured three of the four central panel posts, while the ABVP won the joint secretary's seat. The Left alliance, led by AISA and DSF, narrowly retained the positions of president, vice-president, and general secretary, winning by margins of 272, 34, and 114 votes respectively.
This year, around 30 per cent of the central panel nominations and 25 per cent of the school councillor nominations have been filed by female candidates.
