Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday hailed the peaceful conduct of campus elections in the state after a gap of nearly a decade, describing it as a victory of democratic faith and expressing confidence in the ability of young people to participate responsibly in the electoral process.
Addressing newly elected student union representatives at the Cuttack Indoor Stadium, Majhi said his government had reposed faith in the youth despite concerns over their participation and demands for postponement of the elections. The peaceful, disciplined and decisive outcome of the polls had reaffirmed young people’s faith in democracy, he said.
Taking a swipe at the previous government, the Chief Minister alleged that student elections were banned in 2017 and criticised its leaders for remaining silent over the decision despite their association with student politics.
“While the previous regime callously banned student polls in 2017 while their leaders, who once boasted of student activism, remained cowardly silent under their boss’s diktat, and voices urged us to delay under the pretext that “Gen Z is upset,” we placed our absolute trust in the youth, and they responded by delivering an entirely peaceful, disciplined, and decisive mandate,” Majhi said in a post on X.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the electoral performance of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) across Odisha, drawing a parallel with its performance at Delhi University. He said the results reflected the youth’s support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of development.
Congratulating the newly elected student representatives, Majhi said electoral victory should not lead to arrogance, as winning an election marked the beginning of greater responsibilities and hard work.
He urged the student leaders to focus on the welfare of their fellow students by addressing academic concerns, improving hostel facilities and creating a better campus environment.
Majhi also called on the representatives to take a firm stand against drug abuse and work towards making educational institutions drug-free. He stressed the need to counter misleading narratives through constructive engagement and responsible leadership.
“True leadership means serving fellow students, resolving their academic and hostel needs, taking an unyielding pledge to make campuses drug-free, and countering malicious narratives with positive engagement as true nation-builders for a prosperous, developed Odisha,” the Chief Minister said in the X post.
Describing students as future nation-builders, Majhi said their responsibilities extended beyond electoral success and included contributing to the state’s overall development.
He urged the newly elected representatives to work with dedication and integrity towards building a prosperous and developed Odisha.
