Three parties — the BJP, the BJD, and the Congress — traded competing allegations of irregularities and undue influence ahead of Odisha's students' union elections, scheduled for October 15 and marking the first such ballot to be held in eight years.
On Saturday in Bhubaneswar, both the BJD and Congress held separate press conferences, each putting forward allegations that the state administration had shown partiality toward the BJP. In a formal complaint, the BJD attributed acts of violence and the abduction of nomination-filing candidates to members and functionaries of the BJP.
According to a complaint lodged with authorities, the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal's nominated candidate at UK Mahabeer Mahabidyalaya in Madanpur, Pattamundai, was allegedly removed from the location against his wishes and coerced into withdrawing his candidacy, with BJP-affiliated individuals said to have physically assaulted him while police personnel present at the scene did not intervene.
Three BJD leaders — Byomakesh Ray, Sarada Prasanna Jena, and student wing president Ipsita Sahu — described the cancellation of elections at multiple colleges as a violation of students' democratic rights. Sahu separately alleged that the BJP was pressuring college principals to announce indefinite postponements at institutions where its candidates were projected to lose.
An objection was also lodged over the timing of candidate list releases at Utkal University and Rama Devi University, where the documents were published past 9 pm rather than within the stipulated post-5 pm window following scrutiny. The same source noted that several ABVP nominees faced possible disqualification on attendance grounds.
Sahu told those present that phone calls were reportedly placed by ministers to push for amendments that would benefit them, a process that introduced holdups into the proceedings. The BJD called for the immediate reopening of colleges and the restoration of democratic processes on campuses.
Mohapatra, who heads the Congress student wing, alleged that the state government had deployed administrative resources to tilt election outcomes in favour of hand-picked candidates. According to his account, around 206 colleges had seen direct voting set aside, with candidates reportedly being chosen rather than elected.
Panda, who leads the BJP's youth wing, contested the allegations by directing attention to the BJD's track record, pointing out that the party had allowed eight years to pass without conducting students' union elections and was, in his characterisation, using the current controversy to divert scrutiny from that gap.
Of the 347 colleges enrolled in the process, each will send representatives to take part in the vote. Out of 8,370 nominations filed, the process closed Saturday with 6,362 candidates still standing after 1,196 entries were rejected and a further 405 hopefuls withdrew.
