Bhubaneswar, 13 October (H.S.) : Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee’s student wing, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), on Tuesday accused the BJP-led state government of undermining democracy by cancelling student union elections in colleges where candidates backed by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were allegedly unlikely to win.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, state NSUI president Bibhuti Bhushan Mahapatra alleged that the government was using various pretexts to cancel elections in colleges where the ABVP either had no candidates or faced a low probability of victory.

Comparing the situation to North Korea, Mahapatra alleged that the state government was trying to ensure that elections were held only where the ruling party’s student wing could win. He claimed that elections had initially been cancelled in 202 colleges when student union polls resumed in Odisha after an eight-year gap, and that cancellations were continuing at several institutions.

Citing Narla and Banki as examples, he alleged that elections had been cancelled in constituencies where the BJP had finished third. He termed the cancellations undemocratic and questioned the fairness of the election process.

Mahapatra also criticised the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), saying it was ironic that the party had released a manifesto for its student wing, the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal, despite remaining in power in Odisha for 24 consecutive years without doing enough to address the concerns of students.

Unveiling the NSUI manifesto for Utkal University, Mahapatra questioned why the prestigious Vani Vihar campus continued to witness unrest. He said the manifesto highlighted shortcomings in the existing system and outlined measures to improve students’ academic and campus life.

The manifesto includes demands for better-quality food in hostels, improved access to e-library facilities, free bus services for students of Utkal University and better sports infrastructure.

Emphasising the need to modernise campus facilities, Mahapatra announced that the Chhatra Congress would launch an agitation to ensure high-speed internet and Wi-Fi connectivity across campuses. He also proposed exploring satellite-based internet services, including Starlink, if conventional infrastructure failed to provide reliable connectivity.

He said students should not continue to face poor internet connectivity at a time when digital access had become essential for education and research.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda