Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has delivered an unprecedented performance in Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union Elections achieving a remarkable victory on the Post of Joint Secretary. ABVP’s candidate Vaibhav Meena won the Joint Secretary post posing a significant challenge to the left. Furthermore, ABVP secured 24 out of 46 Councillor posts across schools and special centres, dismantling the long-standing “left dominance” and hoisting the saffron flag in the “Red Fortress” of JNU. This marks not only a historic shift in JNU’S political discourse but also sets as a milestone for the student movement based on nationalist ideology.
While ABVP bagged the Joint Secretary post, it also gave a tough battle for the President, Vice-President and General Secretary posts. ABVP candidates remained strong contenders till the final stages, creating a challenge for the leftist alliance. This clearly indicates the growing acceptance of nationalist ideology among the JNU student community.
Vaibhav Meena’s Introduction:
Vaibhav Meena hails from Karauli, Rajasthan and comes from a tribal farming family. He completed his graduation at University of Rajasthan and post-graduation in Hindi Literature for Banaras Hindu University. Currently, he is a research scholar in Hindi Literature at the Centre of Indian Languages, School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies at JNU. He also holds a JRF in Hindi Literature. Beyond his academic excellence, Vaibhav has successfully completed two-year National Service Scheme program. Presently, he also serves as the President of Kaveri Hostel, JNU.
ABVP’s wins across various Schools and Centres:
• School of International Studies: Won 2 out of 5 seats
• School of Social Sciences: Won 2 out of 5 seats
• School of Biotechnology: Won 1 out of 2 seats
• Special Centre for Molecular Medicine: Won 1 out of 1 seat
• School of Computational and Integrative Sciences: Won 1 out of 2 seats
School of Computer and System Sciences: Won 2 out of 3 seats
• School of Engineering: Won all 4 out of 4 seats
• Special Centre for Nanoscience: Won 1 out of 1 seat
• School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies: Won all 3 out of 3 seats
• Amalgamated Centre: Won 2 out of 2 seats
• School of Environmental Sciences: Won 1 out of 2 seats
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management and Entrepreneurship: Won 1 out of 1 seat
• School of Physical Sciences: Won 2 out of 3 seats
• Certificate of Proficiency Courses: Won 1 out of 1 seat
Significant Achiements:
• 5 councillors were elected unopposed.
• In the School of Social Sciences, traditionally considered a leftist stronghold, ABVP won two seats after 25 years.
• In the School of International Studies, long dominated by the left, ABVP secured two seats, reshaping the political discourse.
During the election process,
ABVP achieved several uncontested victories:
• Surendra Bishnoi was elected unopposed in the School of Biotechnology.
• Praveen Piyush, Raja Babu, and Prachi Jaiswal were elected unopposed in all three seats of the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies.
• Govardhan Singh was elected unopposed from the Special Centre for Molecular Medicine.
ABVP National General Secretary Dr. Virendra Solanki stated, “A new dawn of nationalism has begun in JNU. Today, history has been created in the campus. The walls that were long held by the leftist ideology has now crumbled through the democratic decision of the students. ABVP has not only achieved victories in councillor posts but also established a strong presence in the Central Panel. This is a victory for every student who believes that education should be the foundation for nation-building. We will continue to fight for every student’s rights and uphold the idea of Nation First. ”
Newly elected JNUSU Joint Secretary from ABVP stated, “The newly constituted JNUSU under our leadership will dedicate every step, every decision and every initiative to the welfare of student community. We vision of building a campus where dialogue, inclusivity and academic excellence are paramount and every student has the environment to grow with equal opportunity. This victory marks the first step towards creating a JNU where education becomes a powerful catalyst for nation-building.”