Banned in 1989, Karnataka to form panel to bring back student elections, announces DK Shivakumar

The polls were banned following a few violent incidents, resulting in the disappearance of student bodies affiliated to political parties from colleges.

Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced Wednesday the government’s plans to reintroduce student elections in Karnataka, which he said would create political leadership on campuses.

Shivakumar made the announcement at a ‘Constitution Day’ event organised by the Karnataka Congress.

“Recently, (Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to me and Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) asking us to think about restarting student elections,” Shivakumar said. “I’m announcing today that we’ll form a small committee and seek a report on this.”

Karnataka banned campus elections in 1989 following a few violent incidents, resulting in the disappearance of student bodies affiliated to political parties from colleges.

Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress president, said former student leaders will be “brought together to study the pros and cons” of bringing back campus elections.

“There were many criminal activities taking place back then. We’ll see how we can conduct (student) elections by regulating such criminal activities,” Shivakumar said.

Shivakumar recalled his days as a student leader in Sri Jagadguru Renukacharya College.

“When I was in my final-year degree, I got a ticket because of my political activism,” Shivakumar said, referring to his first election in 1985 from the erstwhile Sathnur constituency when he, all of 23, went up against HD Deve Gowda and lost.

“That's how student leadership was at the time. Such leadership has gone today. College elections have stopped,” Shivakumar said.

“Many of us came through student leadership. College election was like a big movement,” Shivakumar said.

“Leadership used to grow. Leaders were created.”