College polls from next year: CM Majhi

Cuttack: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday said elec-tions to students’ unions in colleges and universities, which were stopped since 2018, will be held from next academic year.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the 49th session of the Akhil Bhara-tiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of Odisha, Majhi said, “Students’ union elec-tions in colleges and universities have not been conducted in the State for many years. I am still at a loss as to why the previous government had stopped it.” The Chief Minister said his government is “actively considering conducting students’ union elections in the next academic year and it will be held definitely”.

The previous BJD government had stopped holding college elections since 2018 due to various reasons, including violence on campuses and the Covid-19 pandemic. The ABVP had filed a PIL in the Orissa High Court in September 2023 seek-ing direction for conducting student union elections in the State universities and colleges.