JNUites wary of poll procedure

Candidate can contest only once in the Central Panel, says committee

With the election process of Jawaharlal University (JNU) being set into motion, the ex-JNUites seem to be somewhat confused about how the elections will be different this year after accepting the Lyngdoh Committee's recommendations on students' union election guidelines.

While the students in the campus, who will be witnessing the elections for the first time, look like an excited lot, the ex-students are raising few points about the election procedure.

“Initially the political parties used to intervene. But there is a buzz in the campus that public meetings with political parties may not be allowed for elections this time,” said Mona Das, elected twice as president (2005 & 2006) of All India Students' Association (AISA).

“But I think if JNU will not hold public meetings with political parties, then meetings will include academicians, activists etc.,” she said.

Students have also raised concerns over Lyngdoh guidelines which suggest a candidate can contest only once in the Central Panel.

The move can change the dynamics of the university's elections from now on.

“It takes a candidate few years to understand the politics of the party in power and to deal with the administration regarding students' issues. So if this year a candidate becomes Joint Secretary in the central panel, then he cannot stand for the next elections. It will be a limitation for the candidate to prove his mettle ,” said Vidya Rao, who was a member of Students Federation of India (SFI) in the 1990's.

Keeping the confusion aside, the ex-students also seem to be in mood for celebration as the elections will be held after a gap of four years.

 “Some students will be specially taking an off on the day of the Presidential elections. They expect the elections to be held in the night, which is going to add to the sheer excitement,” said a professor of Economics.

He added, “The recently passed out students of the University are planning to participate in the election campaign. They will be writing pamphlets, mobilising students through discussions and debates.”

The students also are looking forward to the issue based elections, an intrinsic part of the University elections.

The JNU polls were held in October 2007 and two days before the 2008 elections, Supreme Court (SC) had stayed the process, citing violations of Lyngdoh's recommendations.

In December 2011, the SC withdrew its stay order on few conditions and also relaxed few recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee report.