Ahead of first senate meet, University of Mumbai poll process lagging behind

Two days before the first senate meeting of the year, the University of Mumbai struggled to complete the election process for 10 seats of the graduate constituency until Wednesday evening. The counting process for the elections, which started on Wednesday afternoon, went on until Thursday evening.

Shiv Sena's student wing Yuva Sena won four seats until Wednesday evening, while their candidate Sheetal Sheth won from the women's constituency, Nikhil Jadhav won from the SC constituency. Shashikant Zore won from the DT/NT category and Dhanraj Kohachade won from the ST category. The varsity would have its first senate meeting for the year on March 30 and 31 to discuss the varsity's budgetary provisions.

Several candidates continued raising their objections against the electoral process even on Wednesday slamming the varsity for not conducting an inquiry into the allegations against Yuva Sena. "It is really unfair that despite their excessive interference in the whole electoral process, the varsity took no action on the Yuva Sena. The varsity also had no machinery to conduct the elections, which led to chaos on the day of the voting and also delayed the counting," said Sanjay Vairal, former senate member of the varsity who had contested from the general category this year.

The varsity would have a fully constituted senate three years after the previous one was dissolved in 2015 as per the new provisions under the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016.