ABVP Wins 8 of 13 Odisha Universities, Patnaik Claims BJD Gains
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said candidates of the party’s student wing had done “very well” in Odisha’s student union elections, alleging that the ruling BJP used money and muscle power. His remarks came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for winning eight of the state’s 13 universities.
What the Results Show
The polls were held on October 15 across 346 colleges and 13 universities, with 6,891 candidates in the fray. Of the 1,398 office-bearers elected, 756 were elected unopposed and 642 through contests, according to The Daily Jagran. The ABVP, which is affiliated with the RSS, swept the full panel at Utkal University and won every post except president at Ravenshaw University.
The Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), the BJD’s student wing, won the president’s post in five universities, while the ABVP lost at Rama Devi Women’s University. The Congress-affiliated NSUI did not win any university president’s post, though it claims wins in 30 colleges.
Competing Claims by the BJP and BJD
Shah described the ABVP’s result as “a stern response to anti-national forces” and said the youth were aligned with the “Nation First” ideology. Patnaik, however, said BCJD candidates had won about 60% of college seats and 50% of university seats, PTI reported. These figures are the party’s claims and have not been independently verified.
BCJD president Ipsita Sahoo challenged the government, saying, “If the BJP government has the courage, it should accept the truth and present the actual figures.” The BJD also said its students won in Bolangir and Puri, the home districts of Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida.
Why It Matters for Students
Student union elections decide who represents students on issues such as hostel facilities, fees, exam schedules and campus safety. In Odisha, where the BJP came to power in 2024 after 24 years of BJD rule, the results have quickly become a contest of claims between the ruling party and the Opposition.
For students, the more lasting question is whether the newly elected unions deliver on campus issues. More stories on politics and governance are available in our Daily Updates section.
Based on reporting by ThePrint (PTI), The Daily Jagran and OrissaPOST.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
