Chandigarh, August 31: Ankit Bidhani of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) secured a significant victory in the Punjab University Student Council (PUSC) elections on Monday. He won the presidential position by a margin of over 500 votes in a four-cornered contest. Bidhani described this victory as a win for the entire Gen Z.
Just a day before the voting, the student wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Student Organization of India (SOI) extended their support to the ABVP. This marks the first time in Punjab University’s history that the ABVP has won the top post in the student council elections for two consecutive terms.
Armaan Singh Bhinder from the PUDSF won the vice-presidential position, while independent candidates Dhyan Singh and Vishal Bamla secured the roles of secretary and joint secretary, respectively. A total of 16 candidates contested in the elections.
The competition for the top post was primarily between Gurman Singh Sidhu from the Congress’s student wing NSUI, Adil Beer Singh from the AAP-supported ASAP, and Ankit Bidhani and Darshpreet Singh from the ‘Saath’ group.
Reacting to the victory, senior BJP leader B.L. Santosh wrote on X, “ABVP’s Ankit Bidhani has won the Punjab University Student Union President election splendidly. This is the second consecutive time. SOI also supported the ABVP candidate in the last 48 hours. Congratulations to Ankit Bidhani and ABVP for this remarkable win.”
Bidhani stated, “This is not just my victory; it is a victory for the entire Gen Z.” The results indicate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ABVP hold a special place in the hearts of the youth.
Approximately 16,500 students were eligible to vote, including 9,000 female voters and one transgender voter. The number of voters increased by 344 compared to last year.
Abhiraj Singh won the president’s position at GGDSSD College in Sector 32, while Parminder Singh claimed the presidency at Post Graduate Government College in Sector 46.
During the voting, students protested, claiming they did not have enough time to cast their votes. Reports also surfaced of scuffles between students and police at one polling station.
Gaurav Veer Singh Sohal, the outgoing president of ABVP at Punjab University, stated that the organization had requested officials to extend the voting time. He noted that the long weekend was expected to reduce voter turnout.
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