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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Rajasthan student polls in limbo, but who's to blame? BJP, Congress point fingers at each other
Earlier this week, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Sachin Pilot joined a protest held by the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the Congress's student wing, in Jaipur to demand student union polls in Rajasthan. As the police used water cannons to disperse the demonstrators at the protest on Tuesday, the former Deputy Chief Minister was also hit with water spray. And the resulting images brought focus to the fact that educational institutions in Rajasthan had seen student body elections only once in the last six years. First, the Congress and now the BJP have been shying away from holding the polls, which have been on hold since the Covid-19 pandemic five years ago. While the NSUI is demanding student body elections, it was the Congress that put them on hold under the previous Ashok Gehlot government. After 2019, when there was a pause beginning in 2020, the Gehlot government gave the go-ahead for the student union elections in 2022. However, the results embarrassed the ruling party. In the prestigious Rajasthan University Students' Union (RUSU) polls, independent Nirmal Choudhary, now with Congress, defeated his nearest rival, NSUI rebel Niharika Jorwal, to become the RUSU president. But for both NSUI and the ruling Congress, it was especially embarrassing as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the RSS's student wing, won the president post in seven universities, while the NSUI drew a blank. The RUSU, in the seat of power, hasn't been a cakewalk for the ABVP either, which has had to deal with rebels too. In the 2019 elections, NSUI rebel Pooja Verma won the RUSU president election. A year before, it was Vinod Jhakhar who had also rebelled from the NSUI while in 2017, it was Pawan Yadav who had rebelled from the ABVP. In 2016, the winner was ABVP rebel Ankit Dhayal. It was way back in 2015 that either of the two main student outfits, NSUI and ABVP, had bagged the post, with NSUI's Satveer Chaudhary winning the RUSU president post that year. The Gehlot government, testing the waters in 2022, ended up singeing its hands. Expectedly, the following year, which was also the year when Assembly polls were held, the government skipped the polls. Officially, the Gehlot government cited gross violations of the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations and the use of money and muscle power in student elections, among others. Both the ABVP and the NSUI protested against the decision. Blame game However, according to political observers, had the Congress government gone ahead with the student union elections in 2023, the party would have performed better in the subsequent Assembly elections. Between 2022 and 2023, a sizable section of the youth were mobilised thanks to the Youth Congress election and eventually about 20 lakh votes were polled. Moreover, two of the top three candidates for the president's post were Pilot camp leaders, including Abhimanyu Poonia who won and was eventually elected as an MLA later that year. Like for Poonia, the Youth Congress mobilisation affected several other seats. Faced with questions now, the BJP has been citing how it was the Gehlot government that put a pause on the student union elections, with Deputy CM Prem Chand Bairwa, also the Higher Education minister, saying that students should be questioning Gehlot about why elections weren't held during his tenure. Gehlot was quick to point out that it was under the BJP government (2003-08), when 'student union elections were stopped, and in 2010, the then Congress government (led by him) started student union elections'. Meeting a delegation of protesting student leaders, Gehlot said, 'Why doesn't the BJP government in Rajasthan understand that student union elections are extremely important for preparing future politicians? The NSUI, along with all student organisations, is protesting to hold elections. When all organisations want it, what is the problem in conducting student union elections?' Senior political observer Tribhuvan said Gehlot wanted to be seen as connected to the youth too, and has therefore been vocal about student union polls. On parties avoiding student union polls, he said, 'The political leadership doesn't want new leaders as they can become a bit of a trouble for the parties and established politicians. Hanuman Beniwal, Rajendra Rathore, Raghu Sharma, Mahesh Joshi, et al, came up through student politics. But now, the political leaders don't want anyone else to occupy that space other than their children.' Former State Information Commissioner Narayan Bareth, also a political analyst, said for some time now the student movement had been quiet. 'It doesn't speak about farmers, labourers, atrocities against women employees, etc. Earlier, the campus atmosphere affected the atmosphere outside. But now, the outside atmosphere affects the campus,' he said. BJP spokesperson Laxmikant Bhardwaj said, 'The higher education minister has already made things clear. It was the Congress government which stopped the student body polls and Congress workers themselves are protesting for it now. They should make it clear why they put a stop to the elections.' He said the BJP 'cares about the interests of the students' and the government would restart the elections when the 'circumstances were right'.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Sachin Pilot joins NSUI protest for restoration of student union elections in Rajasthan
The Opposition Congress's student wing, National Students' Union of India (NSUI), staged a massive protest in Jaipur on Tuesday (August 5, 2025) with the demand for restoration and conduct of student union elections in the universities and colleges in Rajasthan. The protesters clashed with the police when they were stopped from marching towards the Chief Minister's residence. Former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, who joined the protest, expressed solidarity with the students' demand for starting the process for democratic representation on the campuses. When the police used water cannons to disperse the crowd, Mr. Pilot was also hit by the water spray. He was forcibly removed from the site. The protest took place at Shaheed Smarak on Mirza Ismail Road, where the traffic was stopped and a large number of policemen were deployed amid heightened tensions. The students and NSUI members, who arrived from all over the State, held placards, raised slogans and marched in unison to press for their demand. Police detained 36 NSUI members, including NSUI State president Vinod Jakhar, and Congress MLA Mukesh Bhakar during the protest. The NSUI workers continued trying to break through the barricades despite the heavy police presence. The student union elections were suspended in Rajasthan earlier, during the Bharatiya Janata Party government's tenure from 2003 to 2008. The polls were restarted in 2010, under the subsequent Congress government. They were postponed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and were later resumed in 2022. In 2023, the elections were again deferred for a few months due to the acquisition of college buildings by the Election Commission for the Assembly polls and the implementation of various parts of the new education policy. Since the formation of the BJP government in December 2023, no action has been taken to resume the student elections. Addressing the protesters, Mr. Pilot launched a scathing attack on the BJP government, while affirming that the election process was important in the democracy and there was no justification for denying the opportunity to the youth to contest the polls. 'What is the compulsion that the student elections are not being held? This is sheer injustice,' he said. Mr. Pilot, who is at present the AICC general secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh, said the BJP wanted to enjoy power and avoid holding any elections and serving the people: 'Even the urban local body and panchayat elections are not being held on time. This double engine government knows how to rule for five years without accountability.' Congress MLAs Abhimanyu Poonia from Sangaria and Manish Yadav from Shahpura also addressed the protesters. MLA Mr. Bhakar, representing Ladnun, said student politics was the backbone of youth leadership, and a large number of political leaders had started their career from student unions.
New Indian Express
29-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Amit Shah-Nadda and Kharge to energise party leaders, cadres in Chhattisgarh
RAIPUR: July 7 will be a significant day in Chhattisgarh politics as the national presidents of two rival political parties will be in the State to energise their respective leaders and cadres. The Opposition Congress is organising a mega public rally in the State capital to be addressed by the party chief, Mallikarjun Kharge. He is expected to give a strong message to the party on how to get going aggressively against the ruling regime on issues of public interests. The Opposition has planned a 'Kisan-Jawan-Samvidhan' public meeting to strengthen its voice against BJP's double engine government and gear-up the party leaders and cadres. To make the upcoming rally create an expected impact, the Congress state leadership has asked the office bearers of different organisations and fronts of the party, including the MLAs, elected representatives to ensure the people of their respective areas turn up in good numbers. The party has given responsibility to its leaders to cover all districts of the state and hold discussions with the cadres right up to the grassroot level. 'The BJP government in Chhattisgarh has lost the trust of the public and it looks towards Delhi for directions and decisions for governance in the state. Now it's our responsibility to fix the accountability of the government', said Sachin Pilot, state Congress party in-charge. The alleged issues of losing public trust, deteriorating law and order, school education, farmers, misusing agencies, and silencing dissent will be the key focus of the Congress.
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Congress Mega Job Fair 'Disappointing'? Congress Leader Sachin Pilot Defends
Express Originals Congress General Secretary Sachin Pilot defended Congress' Mega Job Fair held in Delhi, saying there could've been 100 shortcomings in this endeavour. "Look at the thought behind it. If you do something then also people will criticise you," said Pilot.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Decline in law-&-order in CG shows impact of BJP: Pilot
Raipur: Congress' Chhattisgarh in-charge Sachin Pilot criticised the BJP govt for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, alleging that governance was being controlled from Delhi even though they were elected here. On a two-day visit to Raipur, Pilot met with party leaders to discuss organisational strengthening for 2025. He said Congress MLAs would raise critical issues in the upcoming monsoon session. Responding to Union home minister Shah's comments on Maoist operations, Pilot said that while Congress opposes violence, anti-Naxal actions must be transparent, sensitive, and inclusive, warning against politicising internal security.
