Bhubaneswar: The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday demanded immediate conduct of students’ union elections in government-run colleges and universities across Odisha, alleging that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was deliberately delaying the process out of fear of defeat.
BJD student wing president Ipsita Sahoo claimed that the BJP had withheld the polls after internal assessments showed it would lose to the Naveen Patnaik-led party. “The BJP fears the verdict of students. After conducting a survey, they realised they would face defeat. I appeal to them once again to announce the polls without delay,” she told reporters.
The Congress too backed the demand, with Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das describing the suspension of polls as “nothing less than a crime.” He stressed that Odisha has a rich legacy of student leaders who played pivotal roles in freedom struggles and social movements. “If students’ elections are not held, how will the state nurture future leaders?” Das asked, urging the BJP government to hold the polls in the current academic year.
Notably, students’ union elections have not been held in Odisha’s government colleges and universities since 2018. During the 2024 Assembly polls, the BJP had promised to revive them after coming to power.
Recently, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said the government was “optimistic” about conducting the elections this academic year, though no formal notification has been issued yet.
