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9mo ago

ABVP Wins Panjab University Presidency for First Time in 48 Years

A split NSUI vote plus strong returns from the university’s biggest departments paved the way for Gaurav Veer Sohal’s 488-vote victory.

Rizwal Singh (centre) of ISF celebrating after being elected as the council president of SD College-32 (Ravi Kumar/HT)
ABVP's Gaurav Veer Sohal and his supporters celebrate after winning the student council election at Panjab University in Chandigarh on Wednesday, September 3.
Attri set up camp in PU much before the election season had started to assess the pulse of the campus. (Keshav Singh/HT)
Newly elected PUCSC president Gauravveer Sohal of the ABVP celebrating his victory with his supporters, at Panjab University, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. (Keshav Singh/HT)

Overview

  • Gaurav Veer Sohal polled 3,148 votes to defeat Students Front’s Sumit Sharma (2,660), with NSUI’s Parabjot Singh Gill at 1,359 and ASAP’s Mankirat Singh Mann at 1,184.
  • Other top council posts were split: SATH’s Ashmeet Singh won vice-president (3,478), SOPU’s Abhishek Dagar took general secretary (3,438), and independent Mohit Manderana, backed by NSUI rebels, won joint secretary (3,138).
  • ABVP ran with INSO and HSRA, but those allies failed to enter the panel as results hinged on big departments such as UILS, the Department of Laws, UIET, UBS and chemical engineering where Sohal led.
  • Roughly 16,000 students were eligible to vote and turnout was reported near 53% despite rain and extensive security arrangements across campus.
  • NSUI moved swiftly after the defeat with multiple suspensions, including relieving Chandigarh in-charge Dilip Choudhary, while rival groups’ claims of administrative help for ABVP remained disputed.