Sandeep Mishra
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Sept 28: Campaigns for the upcoming student union elections are on in full swing at educational institutes in the city with supporters spotted at many strategic spots in the capital city asking for votes for their presidential and other candidates.
Meanwhile, large flex banners and hoardings, with alluring promises, hanging outside college campuses are attracting the attention of not only the voters but also passersby, signifying that much-awaited student union elections are round the corner.
However, the other issue that at least ought to attract some attention is the money spent in campaigning by proactive candidates who have suddenly become aggressive ahead of the elections. As per guidelines notified by the state government on the expenses for election campaigning, the amount a candidate can spend is a mere Rs 5,000. But looking at the large displays, it seems improbable that the entire campaigning expenditure doesn’t exceed this amount and that norms are being adhered to.
“We do know about the rules and regulations of student union elections set by the Lyngdoh committee and the state government. However, it is quite impossible to abide by them as a mere Rs 5,000 doesn’t suffice when it comes to conducting large campaigns,” said a student of Rama Devi Women’s University.
What comes as more of a shock is that no educational institution has any mechanism to check whether a candidate is spending more than the stipulated limit. There are no mechanisms to check whether candidates are getting financial support from other sources such as a political party, which also amounts violation of norms.
“We are aware of the Lyngdoh committee’s guidelines. We do ask for expenditure details from every candidate once the elections are over. We also put the data on notice boards to inform other students,” said Maharishi College of Natural Law principal Basant Sahu.
Speaking to Orissa POST former union general secretary of Maharshi College of Natural Law said he had spent a whopping Rs 50,000 on his entire campaign which included buying gifts for voters.
Another set of rules specified by the state government related to conduct of student body elections stated that the money for campaigning must be collected from students only through voluntary donation. Also the materials used in campaigning such as pamphlets, posters, banners and visiting cards should be handmade rather than printed.
“There may be such rules to make us save money, but these are all old tactics which don’t have any relevance in today’s world. The definition of the elections has changed in all possible way. We have to abide by it, else we will end up on the losing side,” said a student candidate of RD Women’s University.
