ABVP Dominates Strategy; NSUI Mired in Infighting
PU Student Union Election:
– ASAP failed to make an impact despite support from political heavyweights.
– ‘Sath’, a Panthic organization contesting for the presidency for the first time, failed to garner student support.
– Questions raised over NSUI’s strategy following their defeat, despite the campaign being led by prominent figures from Haryana.
Mohit Pandey, Chandigarh. The Panjab University (PU) student union election was viewed as a semi-final to the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, as the youth vote—comprising around five lakh voters—holds the power to shape the fortunes of any political party.
In reality, the PU electoral battleground was dominated by political parties rather than just student organizations. The BJP-affiliated ABVP’s astute strategy paved the way for victory, whereas the Congress-affiliated NSUI suffered defeat for the third consecutive election due to internal discord.
Meanwhile, AAP’s student wing, ASAP, failed to steer its campaign to success despite strong backing from political stalwarts. Similarly, ‘Sath’—a Panthic organization contesting the polls for the first time—did not receive the students’ support.
Multiple Factors at Play
Several factors contributed to ABVP’s victory. Securing support from SOI (the student wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal) just a day before the election proved to be a highly effective strategy.
Additionally, ABVP inducted Anurag Dalal—an independent candidate who had won the PU student union election two years prior—and Chirag, who had sought the presidential ticket from AAP’s student wing (ASAP) the previous year. In contrast, NSUI fractured once again due to internal infighting, much like in the past two years. While there appeared to be a consensus regarding the presidential candidate, factionalism surfaced over the choice of the vice-presidential candidate. Furthermore, veteran faces of the organization stayed away from the campaigning process. Despite having the backing of Haryanvi leaders, NSUI failed to secure even the third spot. Experience of Party Stalwarts Fails to Deliver for ASAP
Furthermore, the strategies devised by senior party leaders—ranging from former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia to Punjab MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Anandpur Sahib MP Malvinder Kang, and Moga MLA Amritpal Singh Sukhanand—failed to work wonders for ASAP in the election. While keen to level allegations against the ABVP, the organization itself appeared directionless regarding the actual issues.
Social Media Emerges as a Key Campaign Tool
This election battle played out more on social media than on the ground. Student organizations made extensive use of social media for campaigning, leveraging it as a crucial tool to pave the way for victory.
The organizations had set up dedicated ‘war rooms’ for social media operations, staffed by specialized teams. Separate teams were also assigned to the candidates to provide real-time online updates on their every activity.
