After eight years, Odisha colleges to vote for students' union on October 15

Odisha will hold students' union elections in its colleges on October 15, ending an eight-year gap. Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj announced the date on Monday after meeting Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.

Under the schedule he outlined, colleges will issue election notifications on October 7 and accept nominations from October 9. Polling takes place on October 15, and the winners will be sworn in before noon on October 16. Suraj said the polls are meant to build future leadership. Union elections have been suspended since 2018.

The move fulfils a promise in the BJP's 2024 manifesto to bring back campus polls if it came to power. Suraj said the government needed time to build a suitable atmosphere on campuses before holding them, and he thanked the chief minister for clearing the revival. The polls will follow the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations. He also criticised the previous BJD government for keeping the elections on hold for eight years.

with inputs from PTI