Cuttack: Clearing the air on campus polls in Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the students’ union elections will be definitely held in colleges and universities in the upcoming year.

The Chief Minister claimed fearing the rising power of students, the previous Biju Janata Dal Government in the State suspended students’ union elections.

Attending a State-level programme of ABVP in Cuttack, Majhi said the students’ organization has a crucial role in ushering the double engine Government in the State. 

“During my college days, I was not a member of ABVP. However, I voted for the organisation during the campus polls,” stated the Chief Minister.

He also sought suggestions from everyone where they want to see Odisha in 2036. 

The campus polls have not been held since 2018. As the State was hit by Cyclone Titli, the students’ union elections were cancelled in 2018.

Citing violence on campuses, the BJD Government again cancelled the campus polls in 2019. After campuses remain closed due to Covid pandemic, the polls could not be held the subsequent two years. 

Even though colleges and universities reopened after the pandemic was over, the BJD Government did not notify for campus polls in academic calendars.