JNUSU ELECTION COMMITTEE 2006

Our BLOGSITE is in National News

2006-11-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

JNU goes online for student union elections

New Delhi, Nov. 5 (PTI): The forthcoming Jawaharlal Nehru University students elections have gone online for the first time, with all poll-related information put on a website especially created for the event.

Students can log on to www.jnusuec2006.blogspot.com for any details related to the elections slated for Thursday (November 9), from the list of names of contestants to poll notification and from the JNU code of conduct to results.

"We want the elections to be conducted in a transparent manner and all the details have been put on the internet. Most contestants this time have downloaded the nomination form from the internet and the process has helped us finish the administrative work faster," said Netaji Abhinandan, who heads the Chief Election Committee.

Ram Subramanium, a member of the election committee who was instrumental in designing the blog, feels the website would help in creating contacts with the JNU alumni.

"The JNU alumni and especially those settled abroad are interested in the students' elections. We keep receiving requests for election updates from them and the blog is definitely going to be of help to them," Subramanium said.

The contestants in the elections are finding the blog to be of great help in communicating with voters.

"In the cyber age, it is an effective way of communicating with voters as we have very stringent campaign rules here. It is an innovative thing and would set an example for students elections in other universities," said Sonika Tyagi, who is contesting for the president's post.

Professor K M Chenoy, who teaches international political relations in JNU, said the website would help in conducting fair and transparent elections.

"Almost 20-30 per cent students in JNU won't attend the political party meetings because of their academic schedule. These students can now search the web and select their candidate. Students and alumnus can see the results on the internet minutes after they are declared," said Chenoy, who stood for the JNU elections in the 1970s.

JNUSU ELECTIONS: FINAL RESULTS (Central Panel only)

2006-11-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION ELECTIONS 2006-07

FINAL RESULTS OF CANDIDATES FOR THE POST OF PRESIDENT

Number of votes counted: 3572

NAME OF THE CANDIDATE	VOTES OBTAINED
AMIT SINGH	432
ANAND KUMAR PANDEY	112
ANUPAM KUMAR	19
AWADHESH KUMAR TRIPATHI	836
BRAJESH KUMAR CHAUDHARY	05
DHANANJAY TRIPATHI	909	ELECTED
MOHD. HAFEEZUR RAHMAN	79
RAGHUNATH PRASAD SAKET	132
RITUPAN GOSWAMI	123
SIMMY JOSEPH	19
SONIKA TYAGI	810
VIJAY KUMAR VERMA	28
INVALIDS	33
BLANKS	35

FINAL RESULTS OF CANDIDATES FOR THE POST OF VICE - PRESIDENT

NAME OF THE CANDIDATE	VOTES OBTAINED
BRUNDABANA MISHRA	736
CHAKALI BRAMHAYYA	127
KUMAR PADMAPANI BORA	189
MANOJ KUMAR	421
MURTAZA ALI ATHAR	731
S.VEERAMANI	175
TYLER WALKER WILLIAMS	1076	ELECTED
VIJAYLAXMI	18
INVALIDS	30
BLANKS	69

FINAL RESULTS OF CANDIDATES FOR THE POST OF GENERAL SECRETARY

NAME OF THE CANDIDATE	VOTES OBTAINED
A.ARUN PRASHANTH	829
AKANKSHA KUMAR	141
AVINASH PANDEY	41
PRIYABRATA MAJHI	221
RAKESH KUMAR	386
SANDEEP SINGH	943	ELECTED
SEROHI NANDAN	124
UPASANA DHANKHAR	739
INVALIDS	25
BLANKS	121

FINAL RESULTS OF CANDIDATES FOR THE POST OF JOINT SECRETARY

NAME OF THE CANDIDATE	VOTES OBTAINED
BABITA SHARMA	722
DEEPAK KUMAR	25
JYOTSNA SINGH	800	ELECTED
MAYUR CHETIA	18
MOHAMMAD YUSUF	22
MOSES KHARBITHAI	330
PUSP RANJAN	411
SHEPHALIKA SHEKHAR	624
TAUQUIR ALAM	404
VENKATESH	135
INVALIDS	29
BLANKS	52

FINAL RESULTS OF CANDIDATES FOR THE POST OF STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE TO GSCASH

NAME OF THE CANDIDATE	VOTES OBTAINED
ADITYA KUMAR PATHAK	79
BHARAT KUMAR	422
ELURI SUNEETHA	543
HARISH CHANDRA	936
JOHN XAVIERS	257
KSHIPRA KAMLESH UKE	396
POOJA SHAH PRASHANT	1011	ELECTED
SAKET SUMAN SAURABH	56
TANEESHA DEVI MOHAN	978	ELECTED
VIKRAMJEET SINGH	186
INVALIDS	132
BLANKS	49

To know about the results of Councillor posts for various schools,
please write to ramjnu@gmail.com

JNUSU Election - POLLING

2006-11-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

Gratitude to all the EC Members in general and
new EC members in particular

After conducting one of the most successful elections in JNU
....our (new) EC Members....

RESULTS: The Chair Person announces the Final Results
(11 November 06, 8.30 AM)

RESULTS: T.V. Crew

COUNTING: Refreshment Stalls outside the Election venue

Supporters in a gala mood (aerial view)

COUNTING: On a Graph Sheet (11 November 2006, 2 am)

COUNTING: EC Members plotting the voting pattern on a graph

COUNTING: Reading the Ballot Paper

COUNTING: Showing the Ballot to the Counting Agents

COUNTING: Bundling the Ballot into a bunch of 50 each

Mapping the events in the Control Room

POLLING: Sealing the Ballot Box

POLLING: A voter casting his vote
(9 November 2006)

POLLING: Verifying the voter's name as it appears in the Voters' list

POLLING: Voters in Queue at a Booth in SIS

POLLING: Campaigners/Supporters outside a Booth
(9 November 2006)

EC Office to SIS building

Transferring the Ballot Boxes to the Control Room (SIS Building)

Ballot Boxes for GSCASH

Ballot Boxes for the Central Panel Posts

Checking the impression kits for casting votes

Preparing the Ballot Boxes

JNUSU Elections UPDATES

2006-10-30T09:42:00.000-08:00

PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
7 November 2006, JHELUM LAWNS

Chairperson's Remarks

The JNU students union election is unique in many ways. JNUSU election proves the point that student elections can be based on ‘issues’ and can be conducted in an orderly manner, wherein each party adheres to the code of conduct and treats each of its tenets as a commandment. The JNUSU elections entail all of this and more.

It has no printed glossy leaflets, expensive campaign material. It only has long sessions of political debate. The JNUSU elections are regarded as the ‘expression of student opinion’ and ‘vibrant process of democracy’. The icing on this cake is the fact that JNU is the only university in Asia where the union election is conducted by students themselves without encroaching upon academic territory.

The presidential debate marks the official climax to the annual campaign. Jhelum Lawns, wherein this debate takes place has already found a place in history books. It has been recorded as a ground for intellectual debates.

On the whole, JNUSU elections are not just about vote & politics. It is more of a Festival – full of Colour, Sound and Music

If it is not construed as an exaggeration, today’s presidential debate is closely watched by all the well wishers throughout the world, through the eyes and lens of the media.

At this juncture, I request the student community to maintain decorum of the campus. Let us uphold the sanctity of the debate and dignity of the university. Let this election model serve as a viable model for all those who are in search of one.

The Chairperson

at 4.45 am....

at 4.00 am in the morning...still crowded

On the Water Tank...watching the debate

at 3 am in the early morning....

Sonika Tyagi, Youth for Equality

Raghunath Prasad Saket, BSF

Awadesh Kumar Tripathi, AISA

at 2 am....

Ritupan Goswami, DSU

Anupam Kumar and Vijay Kumar Verma
Both the candidates enthralled the crowd by their sense of humour

at 1 am...

Dhananjay Tripathi, SFI-AISF

Mohd. Hafeezur Rehman, Independent

Amit Singh, ABVP

Anand Kumar Pandey, NSUI

Vijay Kumar Verma

at 12 pm...

On the levelling post....watching the debate

The Presidential Candidates on the dais

TV interviews with our candidates

at 11 pm

Preparing for the Presidential Debate

Security Check

Security Drill at the JNU Gates

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

University GBM (November 6, 2006) for the post of Student Representative to GSCASH, Joint Secretary, General Secretary and Vice President

Venue: JHELUM LAWNS

Encouraging Crowd

A Section of the Crowd

Election Committee Members

Mike/Speaker Operator's job is appreciated

For Vice President

A Section of the Crowd

EC Members

Cheering Crowd

A section of the Crowd

For Joint Secretary

For Joint Secretary

Gala Time

for GSCASH

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question Boxes for the UGBM to be held on Monday (the 6th November 2006)

Rajneesh helping out an EC Member during Graph Sheet Preparation (4 November 2006)

EC Members engrossed in Graph Sheet Preparation (4 November 2006)

Polling Box Preparation (4 November 2006)

The Polling Boxes (with out make-up!!!)

II PHASE OF THE ELECTION PROCESS

Election GBMs provides a firm platform for the candidates to spell-out their agenda & vision for the campus. This opportunity allows them to discuss/argue/defend/take positions on major issues of national and international importance. GBMs are conducted for councillor candidates (at their respective schools) and Central Panel candidates (at the University Level)

GBM at the School of Languages (3 November 2006)

Each Councillor Candidate will be given 5 minutes to present their agenda to the audience (belonging to their respective schools). The Election committee is solely responsible for the smooth conduct of the GBMs.

GBM at the School of Languages

There will be 3 AO/I meetings at each phase of the election process. During the first phase the schedule for the elections will be discussed. In the second phase, space allotments for campaigning is done. In the third phase, issues related to polling and counting will be discussed. Emergency Meeting with AO/I may be conducted if there is any serious violation of code of conduct by the candidate/political organisations.

All Organisation/Independents (AO/I) Meeting at the EC office (31 October 2006)

At the end of the First Phase (after announcing final list of the candidates), the committee arranges for a Press Meet. This serves as the official platform for the candidates to release their agenda/manifesto to the Media.

PRESS MEET (31 October 2006)

I PHASE OF THE ELECTION PROCESS

For a candidate to file his/her nomination, a proposer and a seconder must accompany him. All of them have to furnish the correct data of their identity.

NOMINATION PROCESS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FINAL LIST OF CANDIDATES

Post of President

AMIT SINGH
ANAND KUMAR PANDEY
ANUPAM KUMAR
AWADHESH KUMAR TRIPATHI
BRAJESH KUMAR CHAUDHARY
DHANANJAY TRIPATHI
MOHD. HAFEEZUR RAHMAN
RAGHUNATH PRASAD SAKET
RITUPAN GOSWAMI
SIMMY JOSEPH
SONIKA TYAGI
VIJAY KUMAR VERMA

Post of Vice-President

BRUNDABANA MISHRA
CHAKALI BRAMHAYYA
KUMAR PADMAPANI BORA
MANOJ KUMAR
MURTAZA ALI ATHAR
S.VEERAMANI
TYLER WALKER WILLIAMS
VIJAYLAXMI

Post of General Secretary

A.ARUN PRASHANTH
AKANKSHA KUMAR
AVINASH PANDEY
PRIYABRATA MAJHI
RAKESH KUMAR
SANDEEP SINGH
SEROHI NANDAN
UPASANA DHANKHAR

Post of Joint Secretary

BABITA SHARMA
DEEPAK KUMAR
JYOTSNA SINGH
MOHAMMAD YUSUF
MOSES KHARBITHAI
PUSP RANJAN
SHEPHALIKA SHEKHAR
TAUQUIR ALAM
VENKATESH

Post of Student Representative to GSCASH

ADITYA KUMAR PATHAK
BHARAT KUMAR
ELURI SUNEETHA
HARISH CHANDRA
JOHN XAVIERS
KSHIPRA KAMLESH UKE
POOJA SHAH PRASHANT
SAKET SUMAN SAURABH
TANEESHA DEVI MOHAN
VIKRAMJEET SINGH

Post of Councillor: School of International Studies

ABHISHEK
ARUNDHATI CHOUDHURI
ATOM SUNIL SINGH
AVINASH KUMAR
C. LALENGKIMA
GAYETTRI DIXIT
HARSHA N B
HARISH CHANDRA
MOHIT KUMAR GUPTA
P.K. ANAND
PRAMOD JAISWAL
SAMEER PRATAP SINGH
TIAINLA
VINEET CHATURVEDI
VINEET THAKUR
VIRMA RAM
VISMAY BASU

School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies

AANCHAL RANA
ALOK KUMAR
APURVA MUKHERJEE
ASHUTOSH DAYAL
BAWIKAR DINAH SHYAM
CHANDAN SINGH
GINLALMUAN
IRSHAD UDDIN
KUNWAR SUDHANSHU LAL
MASIH ULLAH KHAN
MD SHABBIR ALAM
MOHAMMAD JAFAR
P. KUMAR MANGALAM
PALLAVA KUMAR JHA
PRANAV KUMAR
RAHUL
RAHUL SINGH
RAMESH KUMAR
SYED MOHAMMAD RAGHIB
VIBHAVARI
YOGESH KUMAR
ZAFRULLAH ANSARI

School of Social Sciences

AMARDEEP
BANOJYOTSNA LAHIRI
DHARMENDRA SHARMA
MD MOBEEN ALAM
MRITUNJAY KUMAR YADAVENDU
NILENDRA BARDIAR
NISHANT KUMAR
PALLAVI DEKA
PREM KUMAR
PRIYA DHARSHINI A
RAGHAVENDRA SINGH
RAHUL PANDEY
RAJAN PANDEY
RAJESH RANJAN BHARTI
RISHIKANT PRAJAPATI
ROSHAN KISHORE
SATYAM BHARTI
SEJUTI DASGUPTA
SOIHIAMLUNG DANGMEI
SUCHETA DE
SWAMI PRAKASH PANDEY
THOTI SREENIVAS
VANESSA CHISHTI
VINOTH RAJA.A

School of Life Sciences

AMIT RANJAN
DEEPAK KUMAR ARYA
HEMANT KUMAR
KAMAL JAIN
KRISHNA CHINTHALAPUDI
NAVEEN CHANDRA JOSHI
NEETU SINGH
PARDEEP KUMAR
SATPAL

School of Environmental Sciences

AMIT KUMAR MISHRA
PANKAJ KUMAR
YAMA DIXIT

School of Computer and Systems Sciences

DEEPAK KUMAR DUBEY
DHEERAJ KUMAR KESRI
RAJIV RATN SHAH

Centre for Study of Law and Governance

DHANYA. K. S
JOSE ALMIN C
SHOMI BRIAN RAIKHAN
SONY KUNJAPPAN

Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies

SANDEEP KR. RAJPUT
VISHAV BANDHU SHARMA

School of Physical Sciences

ANIL KUMAR SINGH
SOMNATH KARMAKAR

Centre for Biotechnology

ANUJ KUMAR SHARMA

School of Arts and Aesthetics

AMEET PARAMESWARAN

School- SLL&CS (PART TIME)

VIVEK DABRAL

Bioinformatics Centre

MOHD REHAN

JNUSU Election Campaign

2006-10-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

EC Notice Board

A Poster by AISA

Campaign Notices

Campaign Pamphlets

Campaign Posters

JNUSU Elections in the National Press

2006-10-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

JNU goes online for student union elections

(Appeared in The Hindu, DNA NEWS, Gulf News etc)

Ram Subramanium, a member of the election committee who was instrumental in designing the blog, feels the website would help in creating contacts with the JNU alumni.

The contestants in the elections are finding the blog to be of great help in communicating with voters.

Professor K M Chenoy, who teaches international political relations in JNU, said the website would help in conducting fair and transparent elections.

Left hold over JNU stays

(The Hindu, 12 November 2006)

Mandira Nayar

For the first time, a foreign student on central panel

· Youth for Equality emerges as a force in the varsity

· NSUI fails once again to make its presence felt

THE NEW TEAM: The winners of the JNU Students' Union elections on Saturday

NEW DELHI: The "red" camp continues to maintain its sway over the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union with the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Student Federation of India (AISF) combine and All India Students' Association (AISA) bagging two posts each on the central panel in the elections whose results were declared on Saturday.

Splitting the panel evenly this time round, the posts of president and joint secretary went to SFI-AISF's Dhananjay Tripathi and Jyotsna Singh, respectively, while AISA's Tyler Williams and Sandeep Singh grabbed the posts of vice-president and general secretary.

The first foreign student to win a place on the central panel, Williams has made history of sorts on the campus. He emerged as the most popular candidate polling the highest number of votes: 1,076.

Dhananjay polled 909 votes to win the presidential seat. His closest rival was Awadesh from AISA, while Sonika Tyagi from Youth for Equality (YFE) emerged third in the race for the post.

The results are being seen as a victory of the pro-reservation forces against the anti-reservation lobby.

With the YFE, which spearheaded the anti-quota movement, contesting the elections for the first time this year and polling a sizeable number of votes, the JNUSU election results have once again established that the campus is always "politically'' correct.

"YFE has emerged as a force in JNU. But the election results show that JNU has no room for casteist forces. We are going to push for the 27 per cent reservation and 54 per cent increase in seats on the campus. Since there will be many more students on the campus now, we want to ensure that they get the infrastructure they need,'' said JNUSU president Dhananjay.

Judging by the votes the YFE polled, it might not be a winning force but it certainly has found support on the campus in a short spell of time. Overtaking even ABVP -- which usually provides the strongest opposition to the Left -- for an outfit fighting the elections for the first time, it has gained considerable ground.

While the results of the JNUSU elections might have reinforced the "red" domination of the campus, they have come as a huge blow to ABVP, which has been struggling to make its presence felt on the central panel for four years now and has been the biggest loser in these elections. The NSUI has failed once again to make its presence felt on the campus.

"The ABVP did not actively take a pro-reservation stand. There were some elements among their supporters who turned to the YFE. But the pro-reservationists have outnumbered the anti-reservationists numerically. And with the students voting against the anti-reservation plank, the YFE will get further marginalised,'' said new vice-president Tyler Williams.

65 per cent polling in JNU elections

(The Hindu, 10 November 2006)

Staff Reporter

`Rise in number of voters this time'

NEW DELHI: It was their annual date with democracy. And students of the politically vibrant Jawaharlal Nehru University here turned up in large numbers -- a whopping 65 per cent of them -- to vote in the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) election on Thursday.

While the percentage of voter turnout did not change much from last year -- when 63 per cent of the students had exercised their franchise -- the number of voters this time round was considerably higher, claimed the election committee.

"A thousand voters have been added to the list this year. So while the percentage is almost the same, the number of voters have gone up. The school with the highest polling was the School of Languages where close to 1,100 students voted,'' said the chairperson of the election committee, Netajee Abhinandan.

Buzzing with energy outside the polling booths, supporters came together to not only use their ballot but also lend their voice to their student party. In an attempt to prove their strength in more ways than one, supporters of different parties tried to drown each other's voice to emerge the winner.

Armed with pamphlets and slips of papers with their candidates' names printed on them, party followers approached every new face to ask for votes. Campaigning till the last minute, candidates wearing badges could be seen approaching students sitting around watching the drama of politics unfold. Despite the campus being rife with rumours of clashes between student outfits, students and their parties alike decided to restrict their fight to the ballot.

"There was a verbal duel between the supporters of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI), which got slightly out of hand. But it was very minor. Polling continued peacefully on every booth and the day passed off incident free,'' said Mr. Abhinandan.

While the seasoned students stood around debating the outcome of the elections -- especially with a number of smaller players contesting this time -- first-timers to the JNU election process were excited just to be part of this rather unique affair.

"I come from Mumbai. This is my first JNU election. We really do not have anything like this there,'' said a young girl.

Bringing down the curtain on a hectic election campaign, the toughest period for student parties began with the counting of votes late on Thursday night. And to take away from the tension, supporters of different student outfits were maintaining an all-night vigil singing songs and shouting slogans till the results are declared.

The political canvas of JNU has expanded this year and the fight for the four central panel seats has seen parties like the Youth For Equality

JNUSU elections today

Express News Service

New Delhi, November 8: More than a fortnight after the process for the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) polls started, the university goes to polls today. More than 5,000 voters are expected to cast their votes. This year sees active participation of 14 parties on the campus with the entry of newly-formed groups like Youth for Equality, Chhatra Lok Janashakti and Bahujan Students’ Front in the democratic process, apart from the regular participants like All Indian Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). American student Tyler Walker Williams is also contesting this time, for the post of AISA vice-president.

The JNUSU polls, is conducted solely by an independent election committee comprising apolitical students from the campus. For Thursday’s polls that will begin at 9 am and end by 5.30 pm, around 150 Group 4 Securities personnel will be deployed at 10 polling booths across the campus.

The counting will begin at 9 pm and the final results will be declared on Friday.

JNUSU ELECTIONS

Presidential debate marks end of campaigning

Express News Service

New Delhi, November 7: TUESDAY being the last day of campaigning for the November 9 Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) polls, it was time for all candidates to put their best foot forward at the ‘presidential debate’ today.

The debate is considered as the most crucial indicator of the probable winners. It saw as many as 12 candidates from various parties engaging in fierce debates on issues ranging from local to international issues.

“The presidential debate is very important. Many voters who are yet to make up their minds reach a conclusion only after they hear presidential candidates from each party speak,” said Umesh Singh, ABVP’s JNU unit president.

This year, the JNUSU polls have maximum number of student groups in the fray, unlike previous years when the number of contesting parties was restricted to eight or 10. “This year, as many as 15 parties are actively participating in the polls,” said Netajee Abhinandan, chairman of the JNU Election Committee.

The number of voters registered this year has also seen a marked increase — from 4,500 last year to 5,400 this year. The election for JNU’s Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) also has the maximum number of candidates in the fray this year.

With first-time entry of groups like Youth for Equality (YFE), Bahujan Students’ Front and Forum for People’s Rights, the campus is witnessing more ideological battles than ever before.

While YFE has been campaigning against caste-based reservations in institutes of higher education, the SFI-AISF combine has been focusing on issues like secularism and saffronisation.

Though SFI-AISF put up an impressive performance last year, many believe that it’s not going to be the same this time with the entry of new players. However, amidst new names for all four central panel posts, Dhananjay Tripathi of SFI, who won the post of vice-president last year, is expected to return as president.

With popular political figures being roped in to deliver speeches, the campus saw much action during the last week. While NSUI invited Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora, the SFI-AISF combine had Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat as guest speakers. Writer Shiv Khera and former director of IIT-Madras PV Indresan spoke for YFE, while ABVP had Arun Jaitley and Navjot Singh Sidhu.

JNU poll campaign in top gear

Staff Reporter

Stage set for the presidential debate

NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University was geared up for the last lap of the election campaign for the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) on Tuesday night with the stage set for the presidential debate. Expected to be a longer-than-usual night on the campus, students and political activists were getting ready for the most anticipated moment in the JNUSU election process.

"There are 12 presidential candidates this time, so we are restricting the time limit for each speaker to 10 minutes. This was decided at the all-party meeting held earlier on Tuesday evening. It will be an all-night affair,'' said election committee chairperson Netajee Abhinandan. While these elections saw reservation and the deep-rooted prejudices being hotly debated on campus with Youth For Equality (YFE) standing for JNUSU elections, it is not the first time that JNU has been at the centre of the controversial reservation issue.

A similar situation was seen on the campus during the peak of the Mandal Commission controversy. "There was OBC written on the door of every Left activist in Mahanadi Hostel. People didn't sit together,'' said a former JNU student. Times might have changed and the politics of division might not play out the same way as it did in the past, but the entry of YFE will definitely have an effect on the votes.

Chinks in NSUI armour visible

Mandira Nayar

`Official' faction denies going to court on the cancellation of nomination issue

NEW DELHI: The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) might not be the favourite on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus for the upcoming JNU Students' Union elections, but with some of its members going to court against a decision of the election committee, the student outfit has come into the limelight for all the wrong reasons.

Exposing deep divisions within NSUI -- which has a negligible presence in the campus -- the "official" faction has denied going to court on the issue.

"We have not filed any petition. This is an individual petition and has nothing to do with the party," said NSUI president at JNU, Waseem Saghar Azimi.

While the NSUI is busy fighting within itself, the students and political parties are up in arms against the move, which they believe is an infringement on the sovereignty of the student community.

The move is being seen as an attack on the long established democratic traditions of JNU. The election committee is planning to call an all-organisation meeting to debate the issue.

"I condemn this move. It is very sad that an organisation has preferred to go to an outside agency to settle a dispute. It is the violation of the spirit of traditions and norms that are well established in JNU," said the chairperson of the election committee, Netajee Abhinandan.

This is not the first time that a nomination has been rejected by the election committee on the same technical grounds. A similar situation had arisen with ABVP candidates in 1997. But instead of going to court, they had managed to sort out the problem within the campus. "A lot of violence took place at that time. All parties promised never to have a repeat of such a situation again. The then election committee refused the help of JNU administration and didn't call the police either. It is shocking that they will think of going to an outside agency, instead of using the mechanisms they have available within the student community," said Souvesh Patnaik, former chairperson of election committee.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/04/stories/2006110421540300.htm

A new twist in JNU polls drama

Staff Reporter

NSUI challenges election committee's decision to cancel nominations

NEW DELHI: Adding a dash of drama to the highly political Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union elections, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the election committee's decision to cancel the nominations of two of its candidates standing for the post of councillors. Claiming that the cancellation of the nomination was illegal and arbitrary, the NSUI has argued that the rule that the election committee cited to cancel the nominations was "ambiguous".

"The election committee rejected the nominations stating that sitting councillors must resign from their seats before filing their nominations. But the rule states that the sitting councillors must resign before the election, which we did. Our candidates had filed their nominations before the final list of candidates was declared and their nominations should have been valid," said Matthew Kuzhalanandan, who filed the petition.

Fighting over this "technicality", the NSUI has sought the help of the court to find a solution. "We had appealed to the election committee. But they turned it down. The High Court has issued notices to the JNU administration through the Vice-Chancellor and the election committee chairperson. It has also directed that the University file an affidavit in four weeks," he said.

For its part, the election committee says the rule states that the candidate must tender a resignation to the election committee before filing the nominations. "This is a routine procedure. The NSUI candidates simply forgot. This has happened a few times with other candidates too," said election committee chairperson Netajee Abhinandan.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/03/stories/2006110319560300.htm

Hindi Newspaper, 3 November 2006

The Hindu, 2 November 2006

Hindi Newspaper, 2 November 2006

The New Indian Express, 29 October 2006

The Hindu, 28 October 2006

Hindustan Times: 27 October 2006
Indian Express : October 26

Indian Express : 25 October 2006

The Hindu: 25 October 2006

Hindustan Times: 25 October 2006

Hindustan Times, 24 October 2006, pg. 6

"Don't Camp-us", Hard News, October 2006

"Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), with its ‘exalted’ historical, political and intellectual inheritance, and despite the occasional aberrations of caste politics, gender insensitivity and violence in the campus, is yet a unique landmark in terms of the character and praxis of students’ politics. One wrong ‘anti-JNU ethos’ incident, and the entire campus moves into one solidarity to preserve its precious heritage.

For instance, JNU elections are held by students themselves, there is an election commission, wall spaces are allotted, expenses are minimum, posters and pamphlets are hand-made (though some rich right-wingers have tried glossy propaganda in recent times), muscle or money power is abhorred, public interest issues are publicly debated, and the level of debate is high: from Hugo Chavez to farmers’ suicides to globalisation to the emergence of fascism in India. No wonder, the Left forces are the strongest, and the main fight is always within the Left, though right-wingers like the ABVP and the NSUI have their share of the vote-bank."

This news can be accessed at: http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/portal/2006/10/609

"JNU gearing up for the battle of the ballot", The Hindu, October 19, 2006

Jawaharlal Nehru University's most active season has just begun with elections round the corner. While most other universities are in a holiday mood, students on the politically charged JNU campus are getting ready for a bitter battle of ideology. And the race began with the usual dose of controversy as there was some "confusion" over who would take over as the chairperson of the election committee this year.

Responsible for framing the election code of conduct, the election committee also decides the schedule for polling. "No one wants to take over as the chairperson of the election committee. People are afraid that they will come in the line of fire by the parties if they lose. The tradition is that the JNU Students' Union usually hands over the charge to chairperson of the committee. But there was no chairperson chosen till late Wednesday evening. The other issue is that most of the members of the committee are all new and have had no experience with elections," said a student leader.

While outgoing vice-president Dhananjay denies the rumour and claims that this is routine, a member of the election committee did admit that there was a "crisis''.

"Netaji Abhinandan, who served as chairperson last year, declined to take over this year at first. He had some personal problems. But now he has agreed to shoulder the responsibility and is expected to be elected,'' revealed an election committee member. Mr. Abhinandan is a Ph.D. student at the School of International Studies and seems to have had a good track record conducting elections on the campus.

This article can be accessed at : http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/19/stories/2006101906900300.htm

"Youth for Equality to contest JNU student elections", Indian Express , 24 October 2006

Making its debut in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) politics, the Youth for Equality will contest the varsity’s student union election this year. The announcement was made after the Student Election Committee released the code of conduct yesterday. Polls are scheduled for November 9.

Election Committee chairman Netaji Abhinandan, a PHD student from the Centre of East Asian Studies, said: “The entire arena of politics has widened. Several organisations have entered JNU politics besides the traditional parties.”

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=206485

OTHER NEWS ABOUT JNUSU ELECTIONS :

Hindu

per cent polling in JNU elections
Hindu, India - 9 Nov 2006
WAITING FOR THEIR TURN: Students of JNU queue up to cast their vote during the students' union elections on Thursday . — PHOTO: VV KRISHNAN. ...
US citizen wins student polls in Delhi university Gulf News
American wins JNU polls Times of India
US student wins JNU election Daily News & Analysis
all 21 news articles »

JNU goes online for student union elections
Hindu, India - 4 Nov 2006
... Students and alumnus can see the results on the internet minutes after they are declared," said Chenoy, who stood for the JNU elections in the 1970s.

Enthusiastic response to JNU students' elections
Hindu, India - 28 Oct 2006
"There have been new significant political groups that have decided to contest the JNU elections this time. There is much more participation than last time. ...

Youth for Equality to contest Jnu student elections
Delhi Newsline, India - 24 Oct 2006
... Established after the OBC reservation Bill was put forward by the Centre this year, Youth for Equality hopes to make a mark in the JNU elections. ...

NDTV.com

SFI-AISF candidate elected JNU President
NDTV.com, India - 10 Nov 2006
... university. There have been new significant political groups that have decided to contest the JNU elections this time. The political ...
Left hold over JNU stays Hindu
Left unscathed after YFE scare Times of India
At anti-America JNU, an American VP Hindustan Times
Indian Muslims
all 25 news articles »

Calcutta Telegraph

American in JNU first
Calcutta Telegraph, India - 15 hours ago
... If the central panel threw up no surprises, the councillor elections revealed a university split ... protests across the country and a first-timer in the JNU polls ...

Free for all
Delhi Newsline, India - 22 hours ago
... attended a madarsa before going to Jamia and then came to JNU in 2000. ... three times at presidential debates held each year before the campus elections, as an ...
65% turnout at JNUSU polls Delhi Newsline
all 2 news articles »

The Tribune

Traders get reprieve as MCD halts sealing for two days
The Tribune, India - 21 hours ago
... seats of the central panel at the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union elections. ... This year, the students’ union poll at JNU recorded 65 per cent ...

JNU goes online for student union elections
Daily News & Analysis, India - 4 Nov 2006
... Professor KM Chenoy, who teaches international political relations in JNU, said the website would help in conducting fair and transparent elections.

All about celebrating student power
Hindu, India - 8 Nov 2006
... agreement with the JNU administration that said residents would not be entitled to a single-seater. They all go on hunger strike before the elections and all ...

University students' union goes to polls
India eNews.com, India - 9 Nov 2006
Over 5,000 students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here cast their votes Thursday in the elections to the university students' union. ...

University students' union goes to polls
Telugu Portal, India - 9 Nov 2006
New Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) Over 5,000 students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here cast their votes Thursday in the elections to the university students ...

JNU poll campaign in top gear
Hindu, India - 7 Nov 2006
... the deep-rooted prejudices being hotly debated on campus with Youth For Equality (YFE) standing for JNUSU elections, it is not the first time that JNU has been ...

Uttar Pradesh polls bad news for Rahul
Peninsula On-line, Qatar - 8 Nov 2006
... Arora also said that local elections could not be an indicator to the possible ... the department of political studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here ...

CNN-IBN

Powerpuff girls rule US political scene
CNN-IBN, India - 11 Nov 2006
... Says Professor American Studies JNU, Chintamani Mohapatra, "Articulate, intelligent women do not necessarily win elections. A large ...

An American out to make history of sorts at JNU
Hindu, India - 1 Nov 2006
... One of JNU's traditional parties with a considerable support base, AISA will not have its crowd-puller Mona Das running for elections this time. ...

Many new entrants in JNU battle of the ballot
Hindu, India - 1 Nov 2006
Never low on excitement, campaigning for the JNU Students' Union elections has begun in full swing and with many more new entrants in the race -- from Bahujan ...

It's a hunt for serious candidates in JNU
Hindu, India - 27 Oct 2006
NEW DELHI: It will be a numbers game in more ways than one in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) elections this time round. ...

Poster boy of university politics
Delhi Newsline, India - 4 Nov 2006
... With the students’ union elections in JNU just four days away, Mukhopadhyay and his colleagues are working over time. He, along ...

ABVP fields its first ST candidate
Delhi Newsline, India - 7 Nov 2006
... ABVP for ignoring the backward classes and tribals in the JNU campus ... People who fight elections on communal issues can’t represent tribals,” says Prakash, a ...

Northeast blips on JNU poll map
Calcutta Telegraph, India - 29 Oct 2006
... Northeast, members of the newly-formed Forum People’s Rights, will contest the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students’ union elections as Independent ...

A new twist in JNU polls drama
Hindu, India - 3 Nov 2006
... to the highly political Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union elections, the National ... The High Court has issued notices to the JNU administration through ...

JNU plays host to Iraqi refugees
Hindu, India - 28 Oct 2006
NEW DELHI: The Capital's "red" corner might be known for its heated political debates, especially during elections, but this weekend the JNU became home for ...

The Tribune

Campus elections: Party time is over
The Tribune, India - 13 Oct 2006
... In Delhi alone, the elections in different varsities are vastly different. If you can drive home the message with hand-painted posters in JNU, you need ...

Chinks in NSUI armour visible
Hindu, India - 3 Nov 2006
... Union of India (NSUI) might not be the favourite on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus for the upcoming JNU Students' Union elections, but with some ...

JNU gearing up for the battle of the ballot
Hindu, India - 18 Oct 2006
... season has just begun with elections round the corner. While most other universities are in a holiday mood, students on the politically charged JNU campus are ...

A stormier JNU poll likely
Hindu, India - 23 Oct 2006
... stand on reservation and often strongly objecting to any anti-reservation opinion, these elections will be really ... There is a caste divide that exists in JNU. ...

Quota: YFE ploughs lone furrow
Times of India, India - 3 Nov 2006
... in the political lexicon at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Caste-based reservation has once again emerged as the hottest issue in the campus elections. ...

Parties inviting ‘stars’ to woo voters in JNU student polls
Delhi Newsline, India - 26 Oct 2006
New Delhi, October 26: With elections to the JNU Students Union (JNUSU) less than a fortnight away, parties have begun inviting senior politicians and ...

JNU all set to go `paperless'
Hindu, India - 24 Oct 2006
NEW DELHI: Students in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here might be busy with preparations for the students' union elections at the moment, but the ...

NSUI sees a `cause' in dengue issue
Hindu, India - 22 Oct 2006
NEW DELHI: With elections round the corner, National Students' Union of India (NSUI) -- that is ... or the lack of them at the health centre at JNU, the student ...

What’s Left?
Newindpress on Sunday, India - 28 Oct 2006
When a friend won the college elections on a Left-ish plank and became chairman, I ... I also kept up with student programmes reported from Delhi’s JNU, and the ...

JNUSU Election NOTIFICATIONS (Downloadable)

2006-10-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

Schedule of the Election GBMs and Presidential Debate

GSCASH Constitution

SCRUTINY PAPER

NOMINATION RULES AND GUIDELINES

CODE OF CONDUCT (with effect from 18 October 2006)

JNUSU ELECTION SCHEDULE 2006-2007

JNUSU Election Committee TEAM

2006-10-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

JNUSU Election Committee '2006 is composed of 32 members from different schools/centres of the University.

Mr. Netajee Abhinandan
Chair Person, Election Committee

Mr. Netajee is heading the election committee for the second time. He had earlier successfully conducted the JNUSU elections'2005. Being a Libran, he has good critical faculty and is able to stand back and look impartially at matters which call for an impartial judgment to be made on them.

The Team
Election Committee Members

This years EC team is comprised of energetic and enthusiastic members from different schools of the university.

JNUSU ELECTIONS

2006-10-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

"Another university, another students union, another elections – the whole story repeated all over again,” would probably be how an average DU student responds to the mention of JNU Students’ Union elections. But for those holding this opinion the JNU elections serve as a great eye opener, a “learning experience”, as some might say. - TRIBUNE, October 15, 2006

Not all elections have to center around flamboyant campaigns, which rely on mini road shows, processions, slogan shouting, ‘gifts’ and exercising muscle power. An election campaign does not necessarily need to brandish a budget running into lakhs and flout each code of conduct that had ever been devised. JNUSU election proves the point that student elections can be based on ‘issues’ and can be conducted in an orderly manner, wherein each party adheres to the code of conduct and treats each of its tenets as a commandment. The JNUSU elections entail all of this and more.

The JNUSU elections serve as a perfect platform for serving reminders to the authorities on the pending issues which need to be looked into. The JNUSU elections are conducted in such a manner that the process does not even slightly encroach upon academic territory. While few other students' union elections are perceived to be a redundant process aimed at furthering the political aspirations of a select faction of students, the JNUSU elections are regarded as the ‘expression of student opinion’. The general perception in JNU is that the elections are a ‘vibrant process of democracy’. The icing on this cake is the fact that JNU elections are wholly conducted by students. The 28-member Election Commission is solely responsible for the ‘proper conduct’ of elections while DU requires the intervention of university authorities.

The JNU students union election is unique in many ways. It has no printed glossy leaflets, loudspeakers, only long sessions of political debate. JNUSU is the only university in Asia where the union election is conducted by students themselves.

Despite an aggressive streak of student activism, JNU campaigns have remained free of the strong-arm tactics and big money that characterise many university elections in India. Students may shout, even push, but violence is rare at JNU. In its early days in the 1970s, the university was actually known for its theory-laden debates among ‘leftists’ than petty hooliganism. 29 posts are up for grabs every year in the JNU elections, four on the university-wide central panel and 25 councillor seats divided among the schools within the university.

During the university elections, the standard procedure of parties is to distribute public statements at mealtimes that announce meetings in the evening “open to all members and sympathisers”. The meetings, usually post-dinner, typically last 90 minutes, and, during the final week of the campaign, party organisers hand out bamboo torches to attendees as they exit, creating fire-lit cavalcades that wind through JNU’s leafy campus in a show of organisational strength. While the presidential debate marks the official climax to the annual campaign, activism and recruitment are year-round activities for all groups at the JNU campus.

As is suggested by the presence of national political parties on campus, as well as the print media attention devoted to campaigns—the Delhi dailies carry news on JNU elections almost every day in the run-up to the polls and plaster the winners on page one— university politics in India is a gateway to mainstream politics and by virtue of its physical proximity to the national power centre, JNU’s elections attract more than average attention. JNU alumni’s on the political scene include Sitaram Yechuri and Prakash Karat of the CPI-M politburo. KR Narayanan, president of India 1997 to 2002, also served as JNU’s vice chancellor.

JNUSU ELECTION COMMITTEE 2006

Our BLOGSITE is in National News

JNUSU ELECTIONS: FINAL RESULTS (Central Panel only)

NAME OF THE CANDIDATE

ELECTED

ELECTED

ELECTED

JNUSU Election - POLLING

JNUSU Elections UPDATES

JNUSU Election Campaign

JNUSU Elections in the National Press

JNUSU Election NOTIFICATIONS (Downloadable)

JNUSU Election Committee TEAM

JNUSU ELECTIONS