JNUSU Polls 2024: Nomination of Swati Singh cancelled last minute, Left groups back BAPSA

NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) polls 2024, the candidature of Swati Singh has been cancelled. She was contesting for the post of JNUSU general secretary. Condemning the last minute cancellation, all other unions have announced to back Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA) candidates.

“In the face of administrative crackdown and cancellation of candidature, the students of this campus have resolved not to recede an inch to the ABVP! We urge the students to vote for Priyanshi Arya from BAPSA for the post of General Secretary,” All India Students Association (AISA) said in a statement.

Swati Singh was rusticated from campus in 2023 and the high court later quashed the rustication order. The issue was pointed out by ABVP in a letter to the EC. Following this, the EC today in a notice stated: “This is to inform you all that, as per the order of GRC dated 21 March, 2024. vide No. JNU/DOS/JNUSU/2023-24/ the candidature of Ms. Swati Singh contesting for the post of General Secretary in the Central Panel stands cancelled.”

AISA, Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students' Federation (AISF) informed that Priyanshi Arya will now be contesting as general secretary instead.

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AISA urges students 'not a vote to ABVP!'

Asking students to “vote out anti-student ABVP in JNUSU elections”, AISA added: “In a vicious move by the JNU administration just a few hours before the scheduled polling were to take place for the JNUSU elections, the JNU Administration has illegally cancelled the candidature of Swati Singh. AISA, SFI, and AISF condemn the ABVP-Admin nexus, in their latest move to thwart the student-led elections!”

Stating that re-election is the only answer for the post of general secretary, AISA requested students to come out in large numbers and vote against the "attack on student democracy and rule out any possibility of the fascist to enter our campus under the garb of administrative action”.

“Since the Combined Left candidate for GS is forced out of the race by the ABVP-Admin nexus, we urge the students to vote for the GS candidate from BAPSA,” it added. The United Left Panel candidates are given below.

• Dhananjay- President
• Avijit- vice-president
• Priyanshi- general secretary
• Mo Sajid- Joint Secretary