Chandigarh, August 29 – With just six days left for the Panjab University (PU) student elections, the final list of 111 nominated candidates was released across nine city colleges on Thursday. Among them, 29 students are contesting for the presidential post, including three young women from prominent co-ed colleges, marking a break from past trends where male candidates dominated the race.
For the first time in years, DAV College, Sector 10; SD College, Sector 32; and Post Graduate Government College (PGGC), Sector 46 will see women vying for the top post. The Student Organisation of India (SOI) has fielded Bhavya Bagaria, an 18-year-old BA first-year student, for the presidential seat in SD College-32, along with Seerat for the Panjab University central post. The Pal Phalwan Student Organisation (PPSO) has nominated Jaspreet Kaur, a BA second-year student, for the presidential race in DAV College. Meanwhile, Komal, 20, a BA second-year student, will contest the presidential post at PGGC-46 on an Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP) ticket, the student wing of the Aam Aadmi Party.
Traditionally, DAV College has witnessed straight contests between the Hindustan Student Association (HSA) and SOI, while SD College has seen Sanatan Dharam College Student Union (SDCU) and SOI dominate. The entry of female candidates has unsettled the familiar equations, injecting fresh competitiveness into the campus elections.
Issues of safety and inclusivity are at the heart of the campaigns. “Fights involving student leaders have created an unsafe environment in our college, deterring girl students from participating in elections despite being in the majority,” said Bhavya Bagaria. Jaspreet Kaur echoed similar concerns: “In two years of my college, I kept myself away from politics because it is more about party entitlement with no female representation. We want to work on issues affecting ordinary students and establish accountability of elected students.”
Observers say the visible presence of women in these contests is likely to shift the power dynamics, making this year’s polls one of the most competitive in recent memory.
