JNUSU polls 2024: 35 eligible for president’s post; code of conduct in place

NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University announced that the election process for the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) Election 2023-24 will start with the commencement of filing of nominations on March 15. JNU authorities said that 35 candidates have filed their nomination for the JNUSU president's post, 37 each for vice-president's post, 38 for general secretary and 31 for joint secretary. JNU will hold election on March 22.

The JNUSU election committee (EC) will impose a code of conduct for the smooth functioning of this poll process, incorporating the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations (LCR).

We appeal to the student community to cooperate with the EC, so that the elections are conducted peacefully, smoothly and in a disciplined manner, keeping in mind the precedents and traditions of JNU and without any violation of the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations.

As per the code of conduct, the candidate can only spend Rs 5,000 during the election. The election of any candidate will be nullified in the event of any non-compliance or any reported excessive expenditure.

Only funding from students allowed

The candidates are specially barred from utilising funds from any other sources other than voluntary contributions from the students' body. Students are requested to ensure that they have their respective identity cards at all times during the election process.

Also read JNUSU elections 2023-24: Parties shortlist probable candidates for president's post

Candidates can only criticise their opponents for their policies and programmes, past record and work. They shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the other candidate(s) or supporter(s) of such other candidate(s). Criticism of other candidate(s), or their supporter(s) based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided.

Changes made

As per the LCR, JNU has made changes in the rules for nomination with respect to undergraduate professional courses. All full time students enrolled in the BTech programme are given an extension of one year in addition to the eligibility criteria for undergraduate students, i.e., BTech students above the age of 23 years are not allowed to contest (not born before 15 March 2001 on the date of filing his/her nomination).