Chandigarh, Sept. 1 -- Once the heartbeat of Panjab University's annual election season, the Student Centre has lost its political pulse after the closure of its iconic Coffee House - the only large indoor space in the centrally located building that could host party huddles and press conferences. The Coffee House has remained shut since January 2025 after the contractor gave up the tender, citing high rent and low footfall. The absence of the poll hotspot, combined with strict police enforcement in the area, has forced student outfits to shift their campaign trail to other corners of the campus, most notably the science departments. Earlier, the Coffee House was not only a student-favourite haunt for socialising, but also the campaign nerve centre where strategies were finalised. With the third floor, housing the Coffee House, lying locked, and the rest of the building occupied by offices of deans of student welfare, the elected student council and campus security, parties now only make announcements from outside the Student Centre. The shift in the university's political geography was evident on August 29, when AAP's student wing ASAP made its party announcements not at the Student Centre, but at the Sector 14 market, while other groups took their rallies to Gandhi Bhawan, science blocks and department canteens. INSO state president Rajat Nain said, "The closure of Coffee House significantly hit the poll rush at the Student Centre. It had a proper sitting arrangement where we made plans and arranged press conferences. Now, there is no designated place to sit, so we are shifting towards departments." Navdeep Singh Meel, vice-presidential candidate from the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, echoed the sentiment: "There has been an obvious shift in the geography of politics in PU. Now, student leaders prefer department canteens where they can interact more meaningfully with students." Even shopkeepers feel the change. "Earlier, the centre would be bustling with activity during poll season. This time, due to closure of the Coffee House and stricter security, the buzz is missing," said a worker at an outlet....