JNUSU election results: BAPSA wins historic Central Panel seat with support from Left parties

Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA) won a place in the central panel of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union.J.N.S.U.) for the first time in its history.

BAPSA’s general secretary candidate Priyanshi Arya emerged victorious in the student union elections, defeating ABVP’s Arjun Anand by 926 votes. Arya got 2,887 votes while Anand got 1,961 votes.

JNUSU results were declared late on Sunday night, wiping out the United Left alliance on three seats in the central panel, while BAPSA got one seat in the four-member panel.

Dhananjay of All India Students Association (AISA) won the elections after a gap of four years. They use the position of the President By securing 2,598 votes against Umesh C Ajmeera of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), who secured 1,676 votes.

BAPSA is an Ambedkarite student organization formed at Jawaharlal Nehru University on 15 November 2014, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.

Since the beginning of JNUSU elections, BAPSA has never been able to secure a place in the central panel of JNUSU which consists of President, Vice President, Secretary and Joint Secretary.

However, the association has consistently won advisory positions.

Despite active participation in JNUSU activities and a substantial voter base, BAPSA had so far struggled to secure a seat in the central panel.

The student union secured the third highest number of votes in the JNUSU elections, leaving behind the United Left Alliance and the ABVP.

The turning point came when the nomination of DSF president Swati Singh, the United Left Alliance’s general secretary candidate, was canceled following a complaint in the grievance redressal committee.

Following this, the Left alliance readjusted its strategy and extended its support to BAPSA general secretary candidate Priyanshi Arya. Due to this last minute change, Priyanshi Arya won with the huge support of the alliance.

However, following the elections, BAPSA chose to distance itself from the alliance, stating its intention to contest future elections independently.

Addressing the media, Pramod Sagar, a BAPSA official, cited the association’s “long-standing presence and its independent influence”, citing past examples of supporting Left alliance candidates “without obtaining mutual acceptance”. Emphasis was placed on “voter base”.

The last JNUSU elections held in 2019 were won by Left-backed groups, including AISA, SFI, DFS and AISF.