Chandigarh, Sept. 2 -- With student elections at Panjab University (PU) reaching fever pitch, the university and its adjoining areas - especially Sector 15 - are witnessing daily traffic chaos. A surge in campaign rallies, heavy vehicular movement and tightened security checks at campus gates have brought the area to a standstill, leaving residents and students caught in long traffic snarls and mounting frustration. The brunt of the disruption is being felt majorly at PU Gate No. 2, where intensified checking of vehicles and ID stickers has led to bottlenecks stretching up to the main traffic lights. "The checking at Gate No. 2 is affecting traffic on the main road as well. Queues reach the traffic lights, blocking the entire stretch. It takes 20-30 minutes just to enter the university," said Vidushi, a PhD scholar and Sector 15 resident. In response, PU authorities have introduced a stopgap solution. A nearby parking area has been cleared and repurposed to inspect vehicles without valid PU stickers or those bearing political party branding, reducing wait times at the main gate. "This system has been adopted after multiple complaints of traffic jams near Gate No. 2. A meeting was held with all wardens and the arrangement is helping. We may consider continuing it in the future," said Amit Chauhan, Dean Students Welfare. Krishan Kumar, PU security in-charge at Gate No. 2, said that checking near the entrance was halting traffic and causing snarls. "Now, we are stopping cars without stickers, checking them in a separate area and removing party stickers from vehicles," he said. An employee at a shop in Sector 14 said, "There's always some rush, but poll season is a different story. That said, the new arrangement at the PU gate this year has slightly eased things for now." While the congestion at the PU gate has slightly eased, roads in Sector 15 remain gridlocked. Residents say the poll season brings a unique kind of rush - one that ordinary traffic management cannot handle. "The election time is totally different. Student rush, number of cars, gedi culture, everything increases in the area. It's chaotic," said Tanya, a PG resident in Sector 15. "The scenario is different during PU elections. Usually there is rush, but during polls, it gets unbearable," said Khushi, another local resident. A Verka booth operator in 15B market stated, "The situation is still better here, but 15A and 15D areas are the worst hit." Students say the spike in four-wheelers on the campus during rallies chokes internal roads. "Traffic increases during polls. It causes problems sometimes, but it's all part of the poll season," said a PhD scholar from the Botany department....