Chandigarh, August 20: Student polls at Panjab University will take place earlier than originally anticipated, with the UT administration approving August 31 as the official voting day for the student council. The university confirmed that ballots will be cast starting at 9:30 am, while the counting process will begin at 12:30 pm to determine the immediate winners.
The election schedule had to be completely reworked after the Chandigarh administration rejected the university’s initial plan. Authorities had originally aimed to host the campus-wide elections during the opening week of September, but security constraints forced a swift change in strategy.
“Our initial September timeline could not be accommodated due to the non-availability of the police force required to maintain order on campus,” a Panjab University official noted. “We moved the date forward to the last day of August to ensure complete security compliance and received immediate clearance.”
Candidates looking to contest the elections must begin the formal process on August 24. Nomination papers will be accepted for exactly one hour, starting at 9:30 am, with immediate scrutiny following at 10:35 am. The provisional list of candidates will be made public on departmental boards at noon, leaving a designated window for objections between 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm before the final paperwork reaches the Dean Student Welfare office at 2:30 pm.
The university will process withdrawals and finalize the ballot sheets on August 25. Approved names will be posted at 10:00 am, and candidates will have until midday to withdraw their names from the race, leading to the publication of the final contestants at 2:30 pm.
The entire process concludes in mid-September with the formation of the inner executive body. While the main council takes shape on voting day, departmental representatives have until September 8 to submit their respective outcomes to the DSW, culminating in the final executive body elections on September 11.
