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Bhubaneswar, Oct 10 : With five days left for the Odisha student union elections, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) have claimed a series of uncontested victories across colleges and universities in the state, as candidates from rival groups withdrew nominations or failed to enter the contest. At Sambalpur University, five ABVP candidates have been elected unopposed. At Berhampur University, the ABVP has secured the post of president following the withdrawal of nominations by a rival candidate. ABVP candidates have also reportedly won unopposed in Dhamnagar, Dharmasala and Kantabanji colleges. At BJB College in Bhubaneswar, ABVP candidates have reportedly secured more than 10 posts unopposed. ABVP Claims Wins In Over 200 Colleges Biswajit Patra, a member of the ABVP's Odisha unit, claimed that the organisation had already won unopposed in more than 200 colleges across the state. He said the BCJD had failed to field a full panel of candidates in nearly 80% of institutions and said the difference between the two student organisations would become clear after polling on October 15. “The BCJD was never with Gen Z. Students have rejected them. That is why they did not allow student union elections after 2017 and killed democracy on campus,” Patra said. BCJD Claims Unopposed Wins In Over 100 Campuses The BCJD has also claimed a strong performance in the uncontested contests. The organisation said its candidates had won unopposed in seven posts at Rama Devi Women's University. At Rajendra University in Balangir, the party reported a similar outcome. BCJD candidates also reportedly swept the posts at Binjharpur College. At a news conference, the BCJD claimed that its candidates had won unopposed in around 100 campuses across Odisha. “BCJD has won in more than 100 campuses uncontested as ABVP failed to find candidates for them. This shows that Gen Z and people are with us. Even after all the government machinery was used against us, we did not crumble. In major colleges and universities, we have won unopposed,” said Ipsita Sahoo, state president of the BCJD. Also Read : Student Union Elections to Be Held in 341 Colleges and Universities Across Odisha NSUI Alleges Irregularities The student wing of the Congress, NSUI, has alleged irregularities in the election process. It has also expressed confidence that it will perform well when the results are declared. According to official figures available as of Saturday morning, as many as 1,620 candidates had been elected unopposed at the college level, while 33 candidates had secured unopposed victories at the university level. The remaining posts will be contested on October 15, when polling is scheduled from 8 am to 2 pm. Vote counting and the declaration of results will take place on the same day.

Deogarh, Oct 10 : Authorities at Deogarh Degree College declared a sine die indefinitely following tension on campus over the rejection of six nomination papers for the upcoming student union elections, a source said on Saturday. The college authorities announced the decision on Saturday evening amid concerns over possible election-related violence and law and order problems. A total of 20 posts were notified for the student union elections. Candidates filed nominations for seven posts, with 11 candidates submitting their papers. Following scrutiny, six nominations were rejected for various reasons, while five were accepted. Rejected Nominations Trigger Campus Tension The rejection of nomination papers sparked resentment among students and led to protests on the college campus. College principal Bikash Pradhan said the decision to declare sine die was taken in view of the possibility of election-related violence. “The sine die has been announced for an indefinite period in view of possible election-related violence. Students are requested to vacate the campus by 8:30 a.m. tomorrow,” Pradhan said. Also Read : ABVP, BCJD Claim Unopposed Wins Across Odisha Colleges Ahead of Student Union Polls on October 15 Student Alleges Unfair Rejection Of Nomination Rudranarayan Nayak, a student, alleged that the nomination of his group's candidate for the president's post had been rejected unlawfully on the grounds of inadequate attendance. “The nomination of our candidate for the president's post was cancelled unlawfully. The college authorities are saying that he had attendance issues. However, we have all the proof that he has adequate attendance to contest the election. We pleaded with the principal to cancel the rigged polls, but nobody paid heed to our demands. Hence, we protested inside the campus,” Nayak said.