What even poll strategist and the then senior JD-U functionary Prashant Kishor could not do in 2018, JD-U on its own did in November 2022 Patna University students’ union(PUSU) elections, with the candidates backed by the party having a near clean sweep winning the seats of president, vice president, joint secretary and treasurer.
More than two years later, as Patna University again prepares for students’ body election on March 29 after a lot of delay and deliberations, JD-U, the party heading the ruling dispensation in the state, is missing from the scene altogether.
Last time, JD-U backed candidates had won four of the five central panel seats — first in PU history — and later the winners also had an audience with chief minister Nitish Kumar in an acknowledgement that the party value those victories dearly. This time, Chhatra JD-U state chief Radheshyam had tendered his resignation earlier this month after the party decided not to contest.
In 2018 also, JD-U had won the seat of president only, that, too, after a lot of hullabaloo over the alleged interference of Prashant Kishor who had to face violent protests from students and ruffled the BJP. This time, Kishor’s party backed candidates are in fray on four of the five central panel seats and he himself introduced all of them to media. However, later Jan Suraj candidate Divesh Dinu withdrew his nomination for the president’s post.
Kishor has also been playing up the denial of central university status to PU and questioning how could ABVP seek votes in the same university. He has also been attacking the NSUI, citing Telangana CM Revanth Reddy’s controversial statement against Biharis.
None of the candidates backed by the JD-U is in the fray this time, though BJP affiliate Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has candidates on all the seats. ABVP had won the lone seat of general secretary last time.
Commenting on JD(U)’s decision to skip PUSU polls, JD (U) spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar, said, “JD-U student wing wanted to contest election in PU, but the JD-U state unit decided against it. As it is students’ union election, I am not authorised to speak much on it.”
Another JD-U leader, however, said that the decision might have been dictated by the obligations of alliance politics, with the state polls due in the coming months. “ABVP has been a strong player in PUSU and JD-U also fielding its candidates would have meant split of votes,” he added.
In 2022 it was a big setback for the RJD-backed candidates, as they drew a blank, but this time the party wants to create a buzz so that it might reap the popularity that it might hog in lieu of poll participation, and if proven to be be lucky by winning some seats. Chhatra RJD candidate Priyanka Kumari is contesting for the president’s post and is confident of scripting a new tale in PU. The left parties like All India Students’ Union (AISA), All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), All India Students’ Federation (AISF) have also fielded their candidates as Left representatives for different seats.
What is significant this time is that Pappu Yadav backed candidates are also missing from the scene. In 2019, candidates backed by Jan Adhikaar Party of Pappu Yadav had won the election for the post of president and joint secretary, while RJD and AISA had won one seat each to end ABVP dominance. Yadav has thrown his weight behind Congress-affiliate National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), which has candidates on all the five central panel seats.
The forthcoming election is also set to witness keen contest, with eight candidates in fray for the posts of president and vice president and seven each for the posts of general secretary, joint secretary and treasurer. Besides, there are 36 members in fray for 26 posts of Council members after scrutiny.
Known as the cradle of politics, which blossomed during the students’ movement under Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan and went to produce leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi, Ashwini Choubey, Ravishankar Prasad, Ram Jatan Sinha, Anil Sharma and many more, PU elections always draw a lot of attention, though its relevance in mainstream election has significantly diminished due to lack of space for youth on the bigger platform of state politics in the last three decades.
Though direct political interference is not allowed as per the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee, which prohibits election on party lines, it becomes obvious every time.
Former Congress chief Ram Jatan Sinha became president of PUSU in 1971 defeating Lalu Prasad Yadav and handed over the baton to Prasad in 1973. BJP president JP Nadda is also a product of PU, an institution that has been trying for Central University status for decades.
After 1984, student union elections could not be held due to fear of violence. It was in 2012 that the then VC, Shambhu Nath Singh, successfully conducted elections to the students’ union. After that there was another gap of five years and it has been largely irregular since then.
