BJP interfering in campus polls: BJD

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday accused the BJP-led Odisha government of using administrative machinery and muscle power to ensure the victory of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the RSS-affiliated students’ organisation, and the BJP Yuva Morcha candidates in student union elections across the State.

Addressing a press conference at Sankha Bhawan here, Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) State president and BJD leader Ipsita Sahu alleged violations of Lyngdoh Commission guidelines and political interference in campus elections.

“The BJP government was apprehensive about the possible defeat of ABVP candidates in most universities and colleges across the State. Therefore, BJP ministers, MLAs and MPs were entering college campuses and engaging in political interference,” she alleged.

Referring to a viral audio clip concerning Rama Devi Women’s University, Sahu alleged that one contained references to the Chief Minister’s purported instructions to ensure ABVP candidates win at any cost. Another clip allegedly featured an Assistant Professor discussing large sums of money spent on student elections. She also accused the government of using the university elections to divert attention from rising crimes against women.

“The BJP government was calling vice-chancellors and college principals to influence them to secure votes in favour of its candidates,” she alleged.

Questioning the government’s intentions, she asked why the BJP government was conducting student union elections if it feared defeat. The BJP was encouraging violence out of fear of losing, using teachers and government employees to facilitate vote theft and candidate poaching. Citing Nayagarh College, Sahu alleged that elections were cancelled after BCJD candidates appeared poised to win unopposed.