Left-backed AISA sweeps JNU Students' Union polls

Left-backed All India Students' Association (AISA) on Sunday swept the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union polls (JNUSU) bagging all the top four positions, including the President's post, for the second consecutive year. Retaining its hold over the prestigious students' body, AISA won the positions of President, Vice President, Joint Secretary and General Secretary defeating candidates from ABVP, NSUI, Students' Federation of India (SFI) and Left Progressive Front (LPF).

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which had swept the Delhi University elections held on Friday following a high-voltage campaign on issues relating to women's safety, failed to win any of the four top posts in JNU elections. Ashutosh Kumar, who won the race for the union President's post, secured a total of 1,386 votes defeating his nearest rival Rahila Perween, the candidate of LPF, which is an alliance between Democratic Students' Federation (DSF) and All India Students' Federation (AISF), by a margin of 377 votes.

Anant Prakash, AISA's candidate for JNUSU Vice Presidential post, won by a margin of over 600 votes defeating ABVP's Md. Jahidul Dewan. AISA's Chintu Kumari defeated her nearest rival Ashish Kumar Dhanotiya of ABVP by a margin of 814 votes bagging the post of General Secretary. Shafqat Hussain Butt was elected as the Joint Secretary after defeating Mulayam Singh of LPF by a margin of 240 votes, officials conducting JNUSU elections said. Last year too, the ultra-left AISA had swept the union polls winning all the top positions.