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Students' union elections will be held in colleges across Odisha on October 15 after eight years, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said on Monday.

He made the announcement after a meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the Lok Seva Bhawan here.

"Colleges will issue election notifications on October 7, while candidates can file their nomination papers on October 9. Voting will be held on October 15, and the elected candidates will take oath of office before noon on October 16," he said.

"The election is aimed at preparing the leadership for the future," he said, adding that students' union elections had remained suspended since 2018.

The BJP had promised in its 2024 election manifesto to resume students' union elections after coming to power in the state.

"We required some time to create a conducive atmosphere for conducting elections on different campuses," Suraj said, thanking the chief minister for approving the resumption of students' union elections in the state.

He said the elections would be conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee.

The minister also criticised the previous BJD government for keeping students' union elections suspended for eight years.