Mangaluru: ABVP-backed candidates won all 37 posts in the Students’ Union elections at University College, Mangaluru, on Friday, while the NSUI alleged that the polls were conducted without following the State government’s guidelines.

The election marked the return of general elections for student representatives at the college after nearly three decades. While the results saw a complete sweep by ABVP-backed candidates, the NSUI raised objections over the manner in which the elections were conducted and questioned their validity.

NSUI alleges violation of government guidelines

NSUI Dakshina Kannada district president Suhan Alva said the organisation had opposed the elections in the absence of clear directions from the government.

According to Alva, the NSUI came to know only on Tuesday that the college had decided to conduct the elections on Friday. He said the short notice and lack of clarity regarding the applicable government guidelines prompted the organisation to raise objections.

Alva said NSUI representatives subsequently met the Mangalore University Vice-Chancellor, the district in-charge minister and the principal of University College. During the meetings, the representatives urged the authorities to ensure that the election process was conducted in accordance with the government’s directions.

He further claimed that when the district in-charge minister contacted the Higher Education Secretary regarding the issue, the official reportedly clarified that an election conducted without following the government order would not be valid.

The NSUI has therefore questioned the process under which the election was conducted and indicated that it would continue to pursue the matter with the State government.

NSUI plans to raise issue with Chief Minister

Alva said student union elections were being conducted at the college after a gap of nearly three decades and that a large number of students were interested in contesting.

He said the long gap had generated considerable interest among students and that the election process should therefore be conducted transparently and in accordance with the prescribed guidelines.

“We will bring the issue to the notice of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar during his visit to Mangaluru for the Cabinet meeting and urge the government to ensure that students’ union elections are conducted as per the guidelines,” Alva said.

The NSUI’s objection has now put the validity of the election process under scrutiny, even as the ABVP has maintained that the polls were conducted peacefully.

ABVP says election was peaceful

Meanwhile, ABVP Dakshina Kannada district convener Suvith Shetty said the election was conducted peacefully.

He said a victory procession was taken out after the results were announced, with supporters celebrating the success of the ABVP-backed candidates.

University College has around 1,650 students. Shetty claimed that nearly 90 per cent of the students supported the ABVP, while around 10 per cent backed the NSUI.

According to Shetty, all 37 elected candidates were supported by the ABVP.

The result represents a complete sweep for the ABVP-backed panel, with candidates supported by the organisation securing every elected post in the Students’ Union.

Srajan elected president

Among the elected representatives, Srajan was elected president of the Students’ Union.

Akshay R was elected secretary, while Ranjitha H I was elected joint secretary.

The remaining elected positions were also secured by candidates backed by the ABVP, resulting in the organisation controlling all 37 posts.

The election outcome comes at a time when student politics has regained attention in the region following the resumption of general student representative elections after several decades.

Election dispute may continue

While the ABVP has welcomed the results and described the election as peaceful, the NSUI has indicated that it will continue to raise questions over the process.

The central issue is whether the election was conducted in accordance with the State government’s prescribed guidelines. The NSUI has maintained that the absence of clear directions and the alleged failure to follow the government order could affect the validity of the results.

The issue is expected to receive further attention during Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s proposed visit to Mangaluru for the Cabinet meeting, when the NSUI plans to raise its concerns.

For now, the ABVP-backed panel has emerged as the clear winner at University College, securing all 37 posts. However, the controversy over the election procedure could determine whether the dispute ends with the declaration of results or leads to further administrative consideration.