In tune with Narendra Modi still remaining the cynosure of the youths' eyes all over the country, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the saffron party's student affiliate, appears to be consolidating its support-base among the college-going youth in Uttarakhand. In almost all the students' union elections held in various Government and Government-aided degree and post graduate colleges, ABVP candidates won the election to the post of president, mostly defeating rivals either put up or supported by National Students' Union of India (NSUI), Congress' student arm, by handsome margins.
Over the past fortnight, the staff members of all the Government and Government degree colleges like DAV (PG) College, MKP (PG) College, SGRR (PG) College, DBS (PG) College and some others were engaged in completing elections peacefully in accordance with the lyndgoh Committee Recommendations. Except for minor incidents, elections in these colleges passed off peacefully. ABVP had fielded its candidate for the post of president in DAV (PG) College, MKP (PG) College, SGRR (PG) College, DBS (PG) College and other colleges.
NSUI fielded its candidate at DAV (PG) College only while at others, NSUI pledged support to independent candidates. NSUI had not fielded its candidate for the post of president in DBS (PG) College, MKP (PG) College and SGRR (PG) College, presumably stung by serial debacles for years.
In SGRR (PG) College, ABVP candidate Naval Kishore Negi won the election for the presidential post, defeating NSUI -backed candidate Nitin by 21 votes. In DBS (PG) College, ABVP candidate Himanshu Kumar won the election for the post of president, defeating independent candidate Vipul Gaur by 190 votes. In MKP (PG) College, ABVP candidate Sapna Chauhan won the election for the post of president, defeating Vikas Group Ayushi Thalwal by 65 votes. In DAV (PG) College, ABVP candidate Paras Goyal was elected to the post of president, defeating NSUI candidate Navdeep Negi by as many as 1775 votes. In the HNB Garhwal Central University students' union apex body elections, ABVP swept, while the NSUI drew blank. ABVP candidate Kamlesh Thapliyal won the election for the post of the president.