Student Politics / Violence Mars Utkal University Student Union Elections Campaign

Bhubaneswar, Oct 14: Eight years after the last student union elections in Odisha, campuses across the state are buzzing with excitement. But at Utkal University’s Vani Vihar campus, the atmosphere turned tense on Wednesday after clashes broke out between student groups.

The “Why I Stand For” meeting, where candidates present their agendas to fellow students, was disrupted when members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) confronted each other.

Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Dutta Singh and DCP Saravana Vivek M rushed to the spot to calm the situation. The DCP instructed non‑students to leave the campus immediately, while the CP appealed to students to maintain peace and conduct meetings in an orderly manner.

Also read: Bomb Blasts at Utkal University and Banki Autonomous College Trigger Panic

ABVP strongly condemned what it described as “violence and hooliganism” by BCJD members. In a statement, the group alleged that IMCA fourth‑year student Shyam Sundar Behera was attacked and left bleeding by BCJD “goons.”

ABVP claimed the violence was orchestrated under the direction of Chinmay Sahoo and Tanmay Swain, who allegedly brought outsiders into the campus to disrupt proceedings.

The student organization demanded:

• Immediate arrest of those responsible, including Sahu, Swain, and other outsiders.
• Collection of CCTV footage by university authorities and strict disciplinary action.
• A complete ban on non‑students entering the campus to ensure safety.

ABVP warned that if police and university authorities fail to act, it will launch a statewide protest.

Meanwhile, campaigning for the student parliament elections has concluded across Odisha. Candidates in 13 universities and 346 colleges have been canvassing vigorously, with rallies, speeches, and outreach to voters.

A total of 6,891 candidates are contesting — 358 in universities and 6,533 in colleges. Of these, 42 university candidates and 1,597 college candidates have already been elected unopposed.

The elections, scheduled after an eight‑year gap, have energized campuses statewide. While most institutions witnessed spirited but peaceful campaigning, the Vani Vihar incident has raised concerns about maintaining discipline during the polls.