JNU students' union polls to coincide with DU for fourth time

Jawaharlal Nehru University will vote for its students' union on September 9, the date coinciding with the Delhi University students' union polls for the fourth consecutive year.
The decision regarding the schedule of the keenly contested elections was taken today at a General Body meeting of the newly appointed election commission.
"The polling will be held on September 9 and the counting of votes will begin on the same night. The Presidential debate will be held on September 7 and the last date to file nominations is August 31," said Ishita Mana, Chief Election Commissioner for JNUSU polls.
The election process of JNUSU was set in motion yesterday with the appointment of chief election commissioner, a woman for the first time, along with constitution of a poll body.

The students try to keep the two election dates in sync so that student wings can coordinate their rallies and the results of one election don't impact the other poll.
JNUSU is the representative body of the students in the varsity. The polls have been keenly contested over decades.

The poll pattern at JNU, however, differs from that of Delhi University. Besides the routine campaigning, the candidates in JNU are also supposed to make speeches about their agenda followed by a round of questions at the "Presidential debate".
The night-long event which is conducted in the style of US Presidential debate is a sought after affair and also a deciding factor for the union elections.

Last year, CPI's student wing All India Students Federation (AISF) had opened its account in the JNUSU polls winning the president's post, while ABVP has bagged one of four central panel slots after a gap of 14 years.
The elections for student representatives of the Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) which are usually held in March are long overdue this year as the university was caught in the sedition row during the period over alleged shouting of anti-national events at an on-campus event.
"It was discussed in the GBM whether to hold the two elections together but it was decided to conduct them separately. The schedule of the GSCASH elections will be decided later," said Mana.