Chandigarh, Sept 5 — Strong backing from Panjab University’s largest departments proved decisive in carrying Gauravveer Sohal of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) to the presidency of the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC). Sohal secured 3,138 votes, building crucial margins in five major faculties even as he lost in smaller departments.
Sohal, a research scholar in the Department of Laws, faced a stiff contest on his home turf, where he edged past National Students Union of India (NSUI) candidate Parabjot Singh Gill by a single vote, 119 to 118. But his dominance in the University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS), where he secured 449 votes, gave him a commanding push. Gill and Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP) candidate Mankirat Singh Mann polled over 200 each in UILS, while Student Front (SF) candidate Sumit Sharma settled at 195.
The University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), another major faculty, further cemented Sohal’s lead. He polled 446 votes against Sharma’s 338. Mann, despite being a research scholar from UIET, managed only 180 votes, while Gill secured 233. University Business School (UBS) and the chemical engineering department also leaned heavily in Sohal’s favor, adding to his winning margin.
Sharma, by contrast, fared better in smaller science departments. He polled 97 votes in physics compared with Sohal’s 60, while in chemistry both were nearly tied—117 for Sohal and 113 for Sharma. In mathematics, Sharma again pulled ahead with 60 votes against Sohal’s 56.
At a press conference following the results, Sohal credited students and allies for his victory. “This responsibility is not a position of power for me, but an opportunity for continuous struggle and service,” he said.
ABVP national general secretary Virendra Solanki said the outcome reflected a larger trend. “This moment is a reflection of the collective resolve of students who aspire to build their future with unity, responsibility, and progress,” he noted. “For years, attempts were made to sow division and regionalism on campus, but students have decisively rejected those narratives.”
