Bhubaneswar: With the October 15 student union elections just three days away, campaigning has gathered momentum across Odisha’s campuses, as candidates make a final push to woo student voters. A total of 6,708 candidates are reportedly in the fray across 13 universities and 347 colleges, setting the stage for a keenly contested electoral battle.
According to the final candidate lists, 429 candidates filed nominations for various posts in the 13 universities. Of these, 49 nominations were rejected and 34 candidates withdrew, leaving 346 candidates in the contest.
In the 347 colleges, 8,370 candidates initially filed nominations. Following the rejection of 1,196 nominations and the withdrawal of 405 candidates, 6,769 candidates remained in the fray.
With Sunday being a holiday, candidates were unable to campaign through classroom visits. Instead, they turned to social media and hostel outreach to connect with students, highlight campus-related concerns and seek support for their respective panels.
At Utkal University, one of the prominent centres of student politics in the state, candidates have made drinking water, sanitation, campus security and the academic environment key campaign issues.
An NSUI representative flagged alleged inadequacies in hostel facilities, claiming that students residing on three floors had to share a single water purifier. The representative also drew attention to sanitation concerns and the need to ensure a safer campus environment for women students.
Presidential candidate Saurabh Behera said his panel was reaching out to students to explain its agenda and seek their support for addressing problems affecting the campus.
AISF vice-presidential candidate Pappu Rout said his panel was committed to making the university campus safer and free from fear while improving the academic atmosphere. He appealed to students to support the proposed changes.
An NSUI representative said the alliance with the AISF was intended to consolidate support and strengthen the campaign around issues concerning students.
With only a few days left before polling, candidates are intensifying their outreach efforts, seeking to turn campus grievances and promises of reform into electoral support. The focus is now on persuading undecided voters and building momentum ahead of the October 15 contest.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
