Sticky situation for election posters as campaign seemingly comes unstuck
Election season at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) calls for discussions at dhabas, sloganeering on the road, chart papers put up all over the campus and excitement in the air. However, this time, the JNU campus seems oddly calm and silent. While popular dhabas like Mamu Dhaba and 24x7 didn’t sport posters of various student unions, the roads of the massive campus were also empty with no signs of any campaigning.
Though students unions and candidates were tied up with the first UGBM, their alternative campaign through posters was also not seen. Only a few walls near the administrative block wore paintings by different unions, especially All India Students’ Federation (AISF), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
The JNUSU election is always a grand affair at the university. But this time graffiti was the only visible form of campaigning seen on the campus. Keeping up with their lineage, the Congress-backed NSUI used Mahatma Gandhi as their mascot this election season. AISA was seen displaying their agenda for the upcoming election through BR Ambedkar’s photographs and teachings, while SFI used graphics of incidents of violence against Dalit women to make their presence felt on campus. ABVP too used the representation of Swami Vivekananda to demonstrate their views.
However, with no other form of campaigning in the campus, these wall paintings worked as important ways of campaigning for the unions. Students sitting at Ganga Dhaba said that this time there were fewer posters but the campaigns should pick up. “The presidential election usually helps in picking up the pace of campaign. Probably on Wednesday, the campus will be buzzing with activity,” said Srishti Vaswani, a student of MA Economics.
The presidential debate will take place on Wednesday and the election is on Friday.