JnUCSU election: Chhatra Dal and Shibir-backed panels allege biased conduct by the admin

Both the ‘Oikkoboddho Nirbhik Jobian’ panel formed by Chhatra Dal, Chhatra Odhikar Parishad and general students, and the ‘Odommo Jobian Oikko’ panel backed by Islami Chhatra Shibir contesting the Jagannath University Central Students Union (JnUCSU) election have accused the university administration of biased conduct.

Within two hours the voting started today, Tuesday morning, the vice-president (VP) candidates of both panels, AKM Rakib from the Oikkoboddho Nirbhik Jobian panel and Riazul Islam from the Odommo Jobian Oikko panel held separate press conferences making counter-allegations.

Speaking at a press conference after 10:00 am, VP candidate of the Oikkoboddho Nirbhik Jobian panel AKM Rakib said that shortly after entering the campus and the polling centre in the morning, they noticed that token numbers of a specific panel, containing candidates’ ballot numbers, were being brought inside the campus. Whereas the election commission had clearly stated that no panel’s or candidate’s token number would be allowed inside the campus.

AKM Rakib further alleged that the election commission initially denied the matter of tokens being brought inside the campus. However, when proof was presented, the commission permitted all panels to bring in tokens. In practice, he claimed, officials on duty at the polling centres were accepting the tokens of the Odommo Jobian Oikko panel only and obstructing others. He described the election commission’s actions as ‘discriminatory conduct’.

Shortly before 11:00 am, Riazul Islam, the VP candidate of the Odommo Jobian Oikko panel, held a separate press conference. He alleged that Chhatra Dal activists were engaging in acts of intimidation outside the campus, including harassing female students. He said, “They are even snatching away the voting slips of our Shibir-backed panel from our female students.”

Riazul Islam further complained, “We believe they may carry out major acts of violence during the vote-counting process, and through various media reports we have learned that different cadres have been deployed in areas surrounding the campus.”

“When we approached the election commission, they gave evasive responses, saying they were unaware of these issues. However, such immediate problems cannot be resolved through written complaints. The election commission is behaving in a biased manner in favour of Chhatra Dal,” he added.