The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) emerged as the leading force in Odisha’s student union elections, winning in seven of the state’s 13 universities, including Utkal University, as the first campus polls in eight years saw the BJD’s student wing, Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), secure victories in four universities.
The ABVP claimed victory in more than 60% of the 325 colleges that went to polls, though the final tally across colleges was not immediately available. At Utkal University in Bhubaneswar, the state’s oldest university, the ABVP won seven of the nine posts, including president and general secretary. Clashes were reported at several colleges and universities during the election process.
The exercise also saw clashes, allegations of unfair practices and charges that the state government favoured ABVP candidates. The Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) secured the vice-president and joint general secretary posts. The elections were held amid allegations by the BCJD that the government had cancelled polls in colleges where the BJD’s student wing was better placed, while opposition parties accused the ruling BJP of using its influence to tilt the contest in favour of the ABVP. Reacting to the polls, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi accused the previous BJD government of keeping student elections suspended for political reasons and denying students their democratic rights. Congratulating the newly elected representatives, he expressed confidence that they would uphold the trust of fellow students, strengthen democratic values and contribute to building a developed Odisha.
“Our government fulfilled its promise to the student community by successfully conducting the elections and restoring the spirit of democracy on campuses,” Majhi said in a social media post. The elections, held on Thursday, saw intense campaigning and mobilisation of first-time voters, with the ABVP and BCJD locked in a keen contest across campuses.
The elections also carry institutional significance, as the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, which came into force in April 2025, provides for the president and secretary of a university students’ union to become members of its Senate. For political parties, the campus polls were an opportunity to strengthen their connect with Gen Z voters ahead of panchayat and urban body polls next year.
BJD president Naveen Patnaik, meanwhile, said the outcome reflected the unity and determination of the state’s youth, while accusing the BJP government of trying to influence the elections. “I commend all the members of BJD and BCJD who stood firmly against the BJP government’s conspiracy to win the student union election through injustice and unfair means,” Patnaik wrote on X, urging students to work towards maintaining a healthy academic environment.
