Bhubaneswar/Brahmapur/Thuamul Rampur/Kendujhar: Disputes over the students’ union poll results disrupted oath-taking ceremonies at some colleges in Odisha Friday, with protests, clashes and incidents of vandalism reported at a few institutions.
Many students alleged “irregularities in the selection process and vote counting”, demanding recounts, fresh elections and inquiries into the results.
At Hinjilicut Autonomous College in Ganjam district, the oath-taking ceremony was cancelled after a physical altercation between two groups of students. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) won the president’s post, while the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) secured all the remaining positions. Police detained five people in connection with the incident, and the college authorities declared holidays and asked students to vacate the campus and hostels as a precautionary measure. The situation reportedly returned to normal after police intervention.
Tension also prevailed at Harekrushna Mahatab Degree College in Kupari, Baleshwar district, after students allegedly vandalised the campus while opposing a scheduled selection process. They demanded its complete cancellation, prompting the Khaira tehsildar and the Inspector-in-Charge to intervene and pacify the protesters.
At Kendrapada Autonomous College, ABVP candidates and supporters staged a protest late Thursday night, alleging irregularities in vote counting and demanding a recount. Defeated ABVP presidential candidate Tulasi Mallik alleged that her side was leading until the final round of counting, but the result subsequently went against them. She also claimed that their counting agent was denied entry to the counting venue and that blank ballot papers were found in a booth. The college authorities had not responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, hundreds of students of Thuamul Rampur Government Degree College in Kalahandi district approached the collector and sub-collector in Bhawanipatna Friday, seeking cancellation of the student union selection results and fresh elections. They alleged irregularities, violation of Lyngdoh Committee guidelines and denial of their voting rights. The students claimed that the college authorities declared the results October 15 without clearly explaining the guidelines, despite initially inviting nominations for elections. They demanded an impartial inquiry and fresh polls in accordance with government rules. The students also staged a sit-in, boycotted the scheduled oath-taking ceremony and sent a copy of their complaint to the state Higher Education Department.
Protests over the results were also reported at Hatadihi Regional College in Kendujhar district and Laxmi Narayan Sahu Mahavidyalaya in Jagatpur, Kataka, where students demanded recounting or rechecking of votes. At Hatadihi, BCJD supporters allegedly vandalised property and blocked roads after an ABVP candidate was declared the winner, disrupting vehicular movement. Anandapur SDPO Kamal Kumar Panda, Inspector-in-Charge Dharmendra Santi and other police personnel reached the spot to pacify the protesters. At Jagatpur, an ABVP candidate’s defeat triggered an uproar, with supporters demanding a rechecking of votes.
Despite the disruptions at some institutions, Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra said student union elections were held in around 3,000 colleges across Odisha and concluded peacefully at most institutions, barring a few minor incidents. He said police, in coordination with college authorities and student leaders, prevented outsiders with a history of violence from entering campuses.
Mishra congratulated students and student leaders for ensuring largely peaceful polls and said investigations would continue into cases involving non-students named in FIRs. Appropriate action would be taken based on CCTV footage, he added.
PNN