JNUSU polls 2025: ABVP sets eye on President's post as divided Left fields separate panels

After weeks of tension and a dramatic delay caused by the attack on the Election Committee office, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) elections are finally underway. Voting is taking place today, April 25, in two shifts—from 9 am to 1 pm and from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm. The counting of votes will begin later tonight, with results expected by April 28.

 

Once the final list of candidates was released—after much anticipation and a setback due to the EC office attack—the campaign erupted across campus in its usual spirited form. The JNU air was thick with dhol beats and slogans like "Kashmir hamara hai" and "Desh samvidhan se chalega, vyaktigat kanoon se nahi" (The country will run by the Constitution, not by personal laws). Flags of Palestine fluttered next to posters demanding scholarships and justice for victims of Pahalgam. Handwritten posters, lanterns, and masal (torch) completed the visual spectacle of JNU’s unique political culture. 

 

As per the EC, there are a total of 7,906 students eligible to vote, of which 57% of them male and 43% are female voters.

 

But beyond the energy and symbolism, this year's elections mark a significant shift in campus politics. For the first time in years, the United Left stands divided. The All India Students Association (AISA) and the Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF) have formed one bloc, while the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), and the Progressive Students’ Association (PSA) have come together to form another. As per the student, ABVP can win the presidential vote this time while the Left is strong in the seats of the counselor and secretary posts. 

 

This fragmentation is being seen as an opportunity for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) to make a strong comeback. At the presidential debate, ABVP’s presidential candidate Shikha Swaraj declared, “I am very glad to see a broken Left. This is the time that ABVP will rise.”

 

The core issues remain familiar—fee hikes, drinking water, gender equality, freedom of expression, and the crumbling infrastructure of JNU. But the recent terror attack in Pahalgam has added a deeply emotional and political layer to the campaign. Before the presidential debate began, a two-minute silence was observed for the victims. AISA and DSF held a candlelight march, while Shikha Swaraj used the moment to strike a rhetorical blow, asking, “Did the terrorists in Kashmir ask the victims' religion before killing them?”

 

This year, 13 candidates are in the race for president, including Shikha Swaraj (ABVP), Nitish Kumar (AISA), Suman (AIDSO), and Pradeep Dhaka (NSUI). ABVP's full panel includes Nittu Goutham (Vice-President), Kunal Rai (General Secretary), and Vaibhav Meena (Joint Secretary). AISA-DSF bloc has fielded Nitish Kumar, Manisha, Munteha Fatima, and Naresh Kumar respectively, and SFI-BAPSA-AISF-PSA bloc has nominated Choudhary Tayyaba Ahmed, Santosh Kumar, Ramniwas Gurjar, and Nigam Kumar.

 

As JNU heads to the polls, the campus is filled with anticipation. With the Left divided and the Right emboldened, this election could mark a turning point in JNU’s left ideology. Whether tradition will hold or change will sweep in—it’s now in the hands of the voters.

India