JNUSU elections suspended indefinitely due to violence, AISA-ABVP trade charges

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) elections have been indefinitely suspended following alleged incidents of violence and vandalism at the campus election committee (EC) office, university officials said on Friday.

Glass windows were shattered and barricades dismantled during the violence, according to eyewitnesses.

“Due to the violence and vandalism targeting the EC office and its members, the election process has been severely disrupted. Until the administration and student organisations can ensure the safety of EC members, the entire process stands suspended,” the EC said in a statement.

A PhD student who was present in the administration block when violence erupted told NH that tensions flared after activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the RSS-affiliated student outfit, attacked the EC office.

This year’s elections were being held for the second consecutive time after a four-year gap, during which no polls were conducted owing to a Delhi High Court case regarding the implementation of the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations — a reason repeatedly cited by the JNU administration for delaying the polls.

25 अप्रैल को होने वाला JNUSU इलेक्शन होल्ड कर दिया गया है.

कारण- वीडियो में है.#jnu pic.twitter.com/x56tIJ3O6w

— Azam Malik (@Azam_iimc) April 18, 2025

They were reportedly angry over the extension of the deadline for the nomination and withdrawal. Originally set for 16 April, the deadline was pushed to 4.00 pm on 17 April and again to 4.30 pm, leading to confusion and allegations of bias.

The volatile situation has resulted in a blame game, with the ABVP accusing the EC of acting under the influence of Left-leaning student groups. “The Election Committee has become a puppet of the Left,” ABVP said in a statement.

The nexus between the Election Committee and leftist organisations (proprietor Comrade Dhananjay) has become glaringly evident. On April 17th, the EC released the final list of valid nominations, in which neither Nigam Kumari nor Santosh Kumar were mentioned. #ABVP4JNUSU pic.twitter.com/1uuvEqicH9

— ABVP JNU (@abvpjnu) April 19, 2025

AISA (All India Students' Association), the most influential students' organisation on campus, in turn blamed ABVP for the violence. Sharing a video on Facebook, AISA wrote: “Look at how the ABVP attacked the JNUSU EC. They broke the doors of the JNUSU office. Don't let fascists break the walls of democracy

"Demand punishment against ABVP Goons! Ensure security to EC! Free and fair elections! Build a barricade against fascism, Vote for United Left Panel! Unite against ABVP lumpenism!”

Realignments among students' groups have also affected the election process, a student activist said.

While AISA and DSF have forged a new alliance, SFI, BAPSA, AISF, and PSA are working to form another coalition. Traditionally, AISA, AISF and SFI have fought together as a united left-leaning panel.

However, several nominations from these groups were reportedly delayed or rejected owing to procedural lapses and uncertainty over withdrawal rules.

Despite the suspension, both major alliances have already announced their candidates. The ABVP has fielded Shikha Swaraj for president, Nittu Goutham for vice-president, Kunal Rai for general-secretary, and Vaibhav Meena for joint-secretary. The AISA-DSF alliance has named Nitish Kumar (AISA) for president, Manisha (DSF) for vice-president, Munteha Fatima (DSF) for general-secretary, and Naresh Kumar (AISA) for joint-secretary.

JNU watchers said the Samajwadi Party student organisation, the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, has also been active this year.

According to EC data, 7,906 students were registered to vote this year, with male voters accounting for 57 per cent and female voters for 43 per cent. As of now, the EC has not announced a revised timeline for the resumption of the election process.