The Students' union polls ended peacefully in different colleges in the city on Tuesday. The elected candidates were in a celebration mood. They would participate in an oath taking ceremony to be held on Wednesday.
The supporters of different candidates contesting in the poll were waiting for the result of their leaders after casting their votes from 8 am to 2 pm on Tuesday. The result was declared at the afternoon on the same day after counting of votes. Earlier when polling started, supporters of the contestants were standing outside their respective college entrances to persuade their friends to cast their votes in favour of their leaders.
According to the poll result of BJB Autonomous College, Mahesh Prasad was elected as president, Hrushikesh Mishra as general secretary and Sushil Kumar Jena as vice president. Mahesh got 1,150 votes out of the total 1,645 valid votes, while his close contestants Tanmay Rout and Saheen Sareen remained in second and third positions respectively.
In Rama Devi Women's College, Ipsita Sahu was elected as president and Priyanka Routray as general secretary, while nomination was rejected for the vice-president post. Ipsita won by 185 votes defeating her close contestant Sarmistha Singh.
In Rajdhani Collge, Sumant Kumar Behera was elected as president, SK Guljar as vice-president and Sib Shankar Pradhan as general secretary. In City Women's College, Suchismita Behera was elected as president, Swarupa Patnaik as vice-president and Gayatri Nayak as general secretary. In Kamala Nehru Women's College, Pushpa Bharati Das was elected as president, Sushree Sangeeta Nayak as vice-president and Sibani Samantaray as general secretary.
Similarly, in the Capital law College, Pritam Sundar Mallick was elected as president, Satyajit Mohapatra as vice-president and Prithviraj Swain as general secretary. In Devray College, Raja laxmi Behera was elected as president and Bibhuti Prasad Sahu as general secretary, while nomination of the candidate for vice-president post was rejected.
"I'm very happy after winning the election. I thank my supporters," said BJB College president Mahesh Prasad. Meanwhile, the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), the student wing of ruling BJD, claimed that 80 per cent of their candidates won in the students' body elections. Similarly, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) also claimed that they got 80 per cent result in the college polls. BCJD State president Byomkesh Ray said that their candidates won in three universities- Berhampur University, Sambalpur University and North Odisha University; while Congress students wing's State president Satyajit Patnaik claimed that they won four colleges in the city.
Notably, the authorities of the Utkal University had declared not to hold elections for this year due to repeated violence in the campus. Besides, the Maharishi College of Natural law and Ekamra College had postponed elections apprehending law and order situations.