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Time of India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
JNUSU elections: ABVP makes a strong comeback after a decade, what went wrong for the Left?
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) made a strong comeback at the Jawarlal Nehru University, a left bastion, after a decade. Even though the left alliance of AISA and DSF retained the posts of president, vice-president and general secretary, their victory margins were close. It was a win by just 272 votes for president, 34 for vice-president and 114 for general secretary. ABVP clinched the post of joint secretary by a margin of 85 votes. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India stares at a 'water bomb' threat as it freezes Indus Treaty India readies short, mid & long-term Indus River plans Shehbaz Sharif calls India's stand "worn-out narrative" The margins last year were wider when AISA, SFI, AISF and DSF contested together, with the difference between the United Left's presidential candidate and ABVP's being 982 votes, that for vice-president being 755 votes, for general secretary 998 votes and for joint secretary, 397 votes. NOTA votes rose from 894 last year to 1,023 this year, indicating a changing trend in student politics. The Left was split this time, SFI forming a separate alliance with a faction of BAPSA, AISF and PSA. This critically affected the anti-ABVP vote. If the Left had been united like last year, it would not only have won with bigger margins, but would also have clinch the one lost seat. SFI-BAPSA's presidential candidate Tayabba secured 918 votes, while its general secretary nominee Ramnivas won 675 votes, These numbers suggest that the victory margin would have widened when added to the United Left's tally. GIF89a����!�,D; 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Co-Founder of Google Brain, Andrew Ng, Is Reported To Have Read Every... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo However, ABVP's performance cannot go under the radar. If its claims to wining nearly half of the councillor seats is true, there could be a majr shift in JNU 's campus politics. United Left has refuted the claim and has accused ABVP of inflating its numbers by including independent candidates in its tally. This time, it was not just sciences and management schools, which have been traditional ABVP strongholds, that tilted in its favour. The organisation also won in Left-dominated School of International Studies and School of Social Sciences, securing four of 10 cumulative seats. Live Events Last time the RSS-affiliated organisation won a central post in JNUSU was in 2016. The left had completely dominated since then. One of the major reasons for the changing dynamics is the evolving student demographics. Since JNU adopted CUET, the centralised entrance exam system, new student batches are often seen as less ideologically driven and more diverse in their backgrounds. Most do not see themselves aligning with Left politics, giving an opportunity for ABVP to exploit. Another important factor was ABVP's ability to navigate the internal divisions within the Left. Additionally, the Northeast factor played a significant role this year. Students from the Northeast thought that they were inadequately represented by both the left and right and decided to field their own independent presidential candidate, Yari Nayam. They had felt let down after the Barak Hostel, which they claimed was exclusively built for Northeast students, was opened up for others. In the election, Nayam secured 1,184 votes, which a considerable number. ABVP's Vaibhav secured a close win for joint secretary, having got 1,518 votes to PSA's Nigam who secured 1,256 votes. The 85-vote margin showed how close the race was and how the fragmented Left votes benefited ABVP. The fresher batch also played an important role. New students, less tied to older ideological loyalties and more focused on practical campus issues, were swing voters. Their preference for alternatives to the traditional Left could have resulted in greater ABVP numbers, not only in the central panel but also in councillor elections. The 2025 JNUSU elections signal a massive shift in JNU's political landscape. While the Left has retained key posts, its once-unassailable grip on the student union's power structure has been weakened. ABVP's rise seems to mark the beginning of more equal contests in the university.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
What went right for ABVP, what didn't for Left at JNU
New Delhi: After a decade, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad made a dent in student politics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, long considered a Left bastion. In the recent student union elections, while the leftist combo of AISA and DSF retained the posts of president, vice-president and general secretary, their victories came with razor-thin margins: just 272 votes for president, 34 for vice-president and 114 for general secretary. ABVP clinched the post of joint secretary by a margin of 85 votes. Last year, the margins were significantly wider when AISA, SFI, AISF and DSF contested together under a single banner, with the difference between the United Left's presidential candidate and ABVP's being 982 votes, that for vice-president being 755 votes, for general secretary 998 votes and for joint secretary, 397 votes. NOTA votes rose from 894 last year to 1,023 this year, indicating some illusion with the student political groups. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi A closer look at the results reveals that the split in the Left, with SFI forming a separate alliance with a faction of BAPSA, AISF and PSA, critically fractured the anti-ABVP vote. Had the Left fought unitedly, it would have secured not only more comfortable victories but also not lost the one seat to ABVP. SFI-BAPSA's presidential candidate Tayabba secured 918 votes, while its general secretary nominee Ramnivas collected 675 votes — numbers that, when added to the United Left's tally, would have widened the margin with ABVP substantially. Nevertheless, ABVP's performance cannot be understated. If its claims to winning nearly half of the councillor seats is true, there could be a tangible shift in JNU's campus politics. United Left has refuted the claim, however, accusing ABVP of inflating its numbers by including independent candidates in its tally. It wasn't just the sciences and management schools —traditional ABVP strongholds — that tilted in its favour. ABVP's victories in Left-dominated School of International Studies and School of Social Sciences, where they secured four of 10 cumulative seats, signifies a rise. The last time the RSS-affiliated student organisation won a central post in JNUSU was in 2016. Since then, the Left has dominated fully. One reason for the changing power dynamic shown by the 2025 polls is the evolving student demographics. Since JNU adopted CUET, the centralised entrance exam system, the incoming student batches are often seen as less ideologically driven and more diverse in their backgrounds. Many of them do not align with Left politics, creating a condition for ABVP to cash in. Another important factor was ABVP's ability to navigate the internal divisions within the Left. Also, the Northeast factor played a significant role this year. Disillusioned by what they perceived as inadequate representation by both Left and right outfits, the Northeast students fielded their own independent presidential candidate, Yari Nayam. They had felt let down after the Barak Hostel, which they claimed was exclusively built for Northeast students, was opened up for others. In the event, Nayam secured 1,184 votes — a considerable number. The central panel election results underline the new competitiveness: ABVP's Vaibhav secured a thin win for joint secretary, having got 1,518 votes to PSA's Nigam who polled 1,256. The 85-vote margin showed how close the race was and how the fragmented Left votes benefited ABVP. The fresher batch's arrival also played a crucial role. New students, less tied to older ideological loyalties and more focused on practical campus issues, proved to be swing voters. Their preference for alternatives to the traditional Left likely bolstered ABVP's numbers, not only in the central panel but also in councillor elections. The 2025 JNUSU elections signal a big shift in JNU's political landscape. While the Left has retained key posts, its once-unassailable grip on the student union's power structure was shown as weakened. ABVP's rise, fuelled by fresh demographics, internal fractures in the Left and a more competitive electoral field, seems to mark the beginning of more equal contests in the university.
Ya Biladi
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Morocco expels three Spaniards from Laayoune
Moroccan authorities expelled three Spanish citizens from Laayoune on Saturday, March 29, according to Iberian media reports. Among them was a former member of the Parliament of the autonomous region of Aragon, affiliated with the United Left, as well as a journalist. All three were forced to return on the same plane that had brought them to the capital of the Saharan provinces. Like previous expulsions ordered by Moroccan authorities in Laayoune or Dakhla, the three Spaniards intended to «gather information on the human rights situation in Western Sahara». This prohibition comes as the UN Security Council is set to examine the Western Sahara issue in the coming days. This week, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares responded to an oral question from a Basque deputy by simply stating that his ministry provides consular assistance to Spaniards abroad. However, he did not specify whether his department had protested to Moroccan authorities over the repeated expulsions of Spanish nationals from the Sahara, as the parliamentarian had requested. On March 15, Morocco had already expelled three Spanish jurists.
Ya Biladi
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Spanish far-left pushes for increased aid to Polisario amid U.S. funding cuts
The Spanish far-left is rallying behind the Polisario Front amid the prospect of reduced U.S. financial aid. The Trump administration has decided to cut funding for USAID, the public agency that provides the Front with millions of dollars annually. On Tuesday, lawmakers from the United Left (Izquierda Unida), part of the Sumar coalition, submitted a bill urging the government to increase aid to the Polisario Front. «This proposal is not just a response to a humanitarian crisis but also a political statement reaffirming Spain's historical ties with the Sahrawi people. The United Left aims to pressure the government to ensure this population, exiled for nearly fifty years, is not abandoned», wrote a left-wing Spanish media outlet on Tuesday, March 18. The House of Representatives is expected to debate this initiative in the coming weeks. Its introduction coincides with the third anniversary of a letter from Pedro Sanchez to King Mohammed VI, published on March 18, 2022, by the royal cabinet. In the letter, Sanchez declared that Morocco's autonomy plan for the Sahara was «the solution» to the conflict— a stance officially reiterated in the Joint Declaration of April 7, 2022, following discussions in Rabat between the monarch and Sanchez. The Spanish prime minister has frequently emphasized that Spain is the largest international donor of humanitarian aid for the Tindouf camps. This assistance, which amounted to €7 million in 2023, has increased to €12 million in 2024. Spain's 17 autonomous regions also allocate substantial budgets to support this population.
