Bhubaneswar: The state government is likely to conduct the students’ union elections in universities and colleges in Odisha this year.

The Higher Education department has already initiated process in this regard. It may announce the date for the students’ union polls in the state soon.

Earlier, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj had revealed that the state government was holding consultations for conducting students’ union polls in Odisha.

The students’ wings of all major political parties in Odisha—BJP, BJD and Congress—have started preparation for the elections.

“We have started preparation for the students’ union elections in the universities and colleges in Odisha. A special poster has been unveiled for this purpose,” said ABVP Odisha secretary Arijit Patnaik.

The Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) and NSUI Odisha wing also expressed their readiness to face the students’ union polls in the state.

“We are ready to face the students’ union elections in the state. Our candidates will win the polls in majority of universities and colleges in Odisha,” said BCJD vice-president Aroop Srichandan.

NSUI Odisha general secretary Bibhuti Bhusan Mahapatra said they will do well in the upcoming students’ union polls.

The students’ union polls in Odisha had been cancelled by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in 2019.

The Higher Education Department, in a notification, had directed the vice-chancellors of state universities and principals of all government degree colleges as well as aided non-government colleges to cancel the students’ union elections in 2018.

The state government then argued that the decision regarding the cancellation of elections in universities and colleges was taken in the larger interest of the students.

Since then, the Higher Education Department has not allowed the educational institutions to conduct the annual students’ union polls.

Protesting the government decision, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had approached the Orissa High Court.

The petitioner had urged the HC to issue a direction to the state government to conduct the students’ union polls for the academic session 2023-24.