Campaigning picks up steam in city colleges
Chandigarh, Aug. 22 -- With less than 10 days left for student body elections, campaigning teams have picked up steam with student parties not limiting themselves to just Panjab University. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the right wing student association of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is spreading its roots to various UT colleges. Day after announcing its panel in Post Graduate Government College for Girls (PGGC), Sector 11, ABVP announced its candidate in Sector 11 co-ed college. It is going to make its next candidate announcement in DAV college, Sector 10. Gandhi Group Students Union is another student party active in Sector 11 girls college.
Both the announcements were made by former PUCSC president Gaurav Veer Sohal of ABVP, the only candidate from the student party who ever won the presidential post in PU. ABVP is actively campaigning in GGDSD college but is yet to announce its candidates.
The student party aims to depict a strong picture of ABVP with former PUCSC president making the announcements. Other than university, the city has 11 colleges where students' council election take place. Out of these DAV and Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma College (GGDSD) colleges witness maximum number of participation by student parties followed by Sri Guru Gobind Singh college (SSGS) and PGGC, Sector 11.
Unlike university elections, where student wings of national parties play key role, college specific parties come out decisive there. In GGDSD college the main fight is between Independent Student Front (ISF) and Sanatan Dharam College Union (SDCU).
Last year Rizwal Sidhu of ISF with Himachal Pradesh Students Union (HPSU) alliance had won the presidential seat in GGDSD college while in 2024 Jatan Gill of SDCU had come out victorious on presidential seat with Himachal Students Union (HIMSU) alliance.
In DAV college, Student Organisation of India (SOI) and Hindustan Student Association (HSA) are the main contenders with presidential seat falling to one on alternate years. Last year, Harmehak Singh Cheema of SOI won the presidential seat and Lavish Sehrawat of HSA swept to victory in 2024.
With college parties in the race, other student organisations are usually seen in alliance in either of two contending parties including HPSU, HIMSU, National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and ABVP. Compared to ABVP, NSUI is focussing on DAV college elections.
With many students having left HSA to join NSUI along with Rubal Singh Sandhu who had won the vice president seat in 2023-24 in DAV from HSA and is currently president of NSUI Panipat, the party is eying to win big in this election.
Association of Students for Alternative Politics, the student wing of currently ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab is hardly visible in college elections. Out of 11 colleges, SOI plans to contest in five colleges i.e. DAV, co-ed colleges in Sector 11 and 46, girls college in Sector 11 and Sri Guru Gobind Singh college, Sector 26....
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