As PU polls draw closer, parties battle factionalism
Chandigarh, Aug. 24 -- While all parties have started campaigning for the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) elections, there are major split lines drawn in all the major parties, and it remains to be seen whether the parties will be able to work together or there will be fights in between them.
Police have also confirmed that they are on alert as there is a possibility of violence between factions of the same party, rather than violence between two parties which was seen sometimes in the previous years.
The most visible divide is in Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), where a new faction, ABVP Front has also emerged in the party. It comprises members who were expelled from the ABVP in March this year, after a fight broke out in their office in Sector 15.
The original ABVP has distanced itself from the ABVP Front party and a legal notice was also sent to the front group to change their name.
A senior member of the ABVP said, "As of now it is unlikely that the two groups will unite and ultimately they will cut into each other's vote share depending on which seats they contest.
There is also a visible gap in the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU).
Two groups have emerged, both claiming to be the original party, with one group led by Balraj Singh Sidhu and the other by Jashan Jawanda. While the Jashan's group has already declared Abhishek Dagar for the general secretary seat, the Balraj's group is likely to field a candidate only for the presidential seat.
Both parties will still continue to claim they are from SOPU, leading to confusion among students.
In the National Students Union of India (NSUI) camp, there seems to be some reconciliation as last year's rebel, Anurag Dalal who won the president post by fighting as an independent candidate is now back with the NSUI party. While it was all smiles when NSUI launched their manifesto last week, party officials said that the situation might change when the presidential pick is announced. There are different factions within the NSUI, even before the ghar-wapsi of Anurag and each faction would want their candidate to be at the front.
Even Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP) has at least three hopefuls eyeing for the presidential seat from the Punjab's ruling party's student wing. When the party launched their poster at the Students Centre this week, each of these hopefuls joined the rally separately with their student groups, a show of strength to see who drew the most crowd. There might be some dissatisfied members when the president pick is announced.
Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) had presented a unified face till recently, when president Bhupinder Singh expelled three members of the party. Singh said that the three had joined PUSU from another party with a "my way or the highway" attitude which is what led to their ouster. Meanwhile, the three have now uploaded a video claiming that they don't recognise the authority of Singh as PUSU president and instead they have removed him from the party. A situation similar to SOPU is likely to develop from this.
Students Organisation of India (SOI) is among some of the few parties which have kept their house in order. Election incharge of SOI Harkamal Singh Bhuregill said they are giving importance to members of the party who have been working with them for many years.
"The whole party supports individual members for even small things," he added....
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