Setback for BJP: spectacular victory for NSUI in Garhwal University elections

The BJP has suffered a significant setback ahead of the Assembly elections due next year in Uttarakhand. The student wing of the BJP, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, has lost its stronghold in the central university's student union elections, with the Congress-affiliated NSUI and other groups emerging victorious. The NSUI handed a crushing defeat to ABVP in the Pauri campus of Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal Central University.

In the results declared late Friday (11 September) evening for the elections at the Birla Campus (Srinagar University) of the university, Himanshu Bhandari of the 'Jai Ho' group, secured 3,301 votes and was elected president. His closest rival, Bhuvan Chamoli of the Vidyarthi Parishad got 1,796 votes.

Pulkit Agarwal of 'Chhatram' bagged the vice-president post, securing 2,991 votes. His closest rival, Preeti Verma, got 2,046 votes. Mayank Bahuguna of the NSUI was elected secretary having secured 2,708 votes; Aman Kuniyal is the new joint secretary and Ramswaroop was elected unopposed as treasurer. Meanwhile, Yuvraj from the left-wing AISA won the post of University Representative (UR) and Sunidhi Singh as female student representative.

Separately, the NSUI dominated the elections at the university's BGR campus bagging the posts of president, vice-president, secretary, joint secretary, treasurer, and three out of the four executive committee seats.

Student politics at this prestigious university has long been viewed as a reflection of the broader political landscape of Garhwal and hence these results can be read as signalling a shift with the youth turning away from the Vidyarthi Parishad, which is affiliated with the BJP and RSS. The BJP will also have to face the challenge of retaining the support of the youth across several districts, including Pauri and Tehri.

Political observers note that there has been growing unease in Garhwal regarding the BJP government and its affiliated organisations for some time. They suggest that the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event—organised by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in Dehradun last month—has also influenced these election results. Further, several protest movements have taken place in these Garhwal districts in recent months, and the results reflect current trends among 'Gen Z'.

It is worth recalling the incident involving Mohammad Deepak in the district's Kotdwar area, which sparked significant resentment against the incumbent administration among social, political and cultural organisations.

In recent times, the BJP is seen to be on the back foot on several issues in state politics ranging from public outrage over the Ankita Bhandari murder case and large-scale deforestation to projects involving cutting through mountains for new roads without environmental regard along with rising social tensions in districts like Nainital and Haridwar.

Pauri district has long been considered significant in the state's politics. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval (under the Modi government) and the late chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat both hail from this district. The Pauri Garhwal parliamentary constituency is a high-profile seat and the BJP holds the Assembly seats of Pauri, Kotdwar, Lansdowne, Chaubattakhal, Yamkeshwar and Srinagar in the district. In total, the district is represented by six MLAs, two ministers, and one MP.

Ministers Dhan Singh Rawat and Satpal Maharaj, serving in the current Dhami government hail from here, while Ritu Khanduri (representing Kotdwar) is the Assembly Speaker. Against this backdrop, the results of the student union elections have become a topic of political discussion.