Bhubaneswar: The student union elections across Odisha’s colleges and universities are set for October 15 after an eight-year gap, with campaigning intensifying in the final days as candidates step up outreach through social media and hostel visits following a holiday that limited classroom interactions.
A total of 6,708 candidates remain in the fray across 13 universities and 347 colleges. In the universities, 429 nominations were filed, of which 49 were rejected and 34 withdrawn, leaving 346 contenders. In the colleges, 8,370 nominations were submitted initially; after 1,196 rejections and 405 withdrawals, 6,769 candidates are contesting.
Against this backdrop, the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has accused State Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallik of deploying police machinery and anti-social elements to capture student unions in Polasara, Buguda, Balipada and adjoining areas of Ganjam district.
At a press conference at Sankha Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, BJD general secretary and former minister Srikant Sahu, along with party spokesperson Tumbanath Panda, alleged that the minister is misusing the administrative apparatus to intimidate candidates and force them to withdraw nominations.
Sahu claimed that after the election schedule was announced, Mallik, recognising the strong prospects of the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal at colleges in Polasara, Buguda and Balipada, used local administration and goons to pressure candidates and their families. He further alleged that complaints filed with police after incidents of violence have produced no results and condemned the minister’s reported abuse of power to bring the unions under control.
Panda criticised remarks made by Mallik about former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, describing them as an attempt to conceal the minister’s own incompetence. He said that while Naveen had established Odisha as a model state that earned global appreciation, the two-and-a-half-year tenure of the current BJP government had brought disrepute through misgovernance.
Panda alleged that BJP leaders and ministers were competing to remain in the limelight by targeting Naveen, whose personality and governance record were well known to the public. He asserted that the people of Odisha were already fed up with the BJP’s performance and would deliver an appropriate response in due course.
Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad claimed a significant early success, stating that its candidates had been elected unopposed to 252 posts across 60 colleges. These include 12 presidents, 17 general secretaries, 22 vice-presidents and 23 joint secretaries. ABVP leaders said that after the withdrawal deadline, no other candidates remained for these positions. The organisation reported uncontested wins for the posts of president, drama secretary and cultural secretary at Berhampur University, along with sweeps of major posts at Talcher Autonomous College, Dharmasala Degree College, Mahima Degree College in Joranda, Chikiti Degree College, People’s Degree College in Buguda and Khajurikata Degree College in Hindol.
ABVP national secretary Shravan B Raj said the contest in Odisha was against the political approach of Congress and the BJD, noting that the failure of NSUI and BCJD to field candidates in several colleges showed that political backing alone was insufficient without consistent student engagement.
ABVP Odisha East secretary Deeptimayee Pratihari expressed confidence in a strong performance based on student trust and focus on welfare issues.
On Saturday, the BJD-affiliated Biju Chhatra Janata Dal had separately claimed that its candidates secured key posts unopposed in over 100 campuses, including four major posts at Dharanidhar University in Kendujhar.
At campuses such as Utkal University, candidates have focused on issues including drinking water, sanitation, campus security and the academic environment. An NSUI representative highlighted inadequate hostel facilities, with students on three floors allegedly sharing a single water purifier, along with sanitation concerns and the need for a safer environment for women students. Presidential candidate Saurabh Behera said his panel was explaining its agenda to address campus problems, while AISF vice-presidential candidate Pappu Rout appealed for support to make the campus safer and improve the academic atmosphere. An NSUI representative noted that an alliance with the AISF aimed to consolidate support around student concerns. With polling days away, candidates across panels are intensifying efforts to persuade undecided voters.