The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Election Committee has temporarily suspended the student union election process following incidents of violence and vandalism at its office.
The poll committee cited a serious breakdown in campus security and a hostile environment as the reason for halting the entire poll process. It stated that elections will not resume unless adequate security is provided.
In a letter to the university administration, the committee alleged that the current security arrangement by JNU was insufficient.
"Our lives are at risk," the committee members said, warning that the elections may be cancelled if proper protection is not ensured. However, university sources claimed they had not received any such communication from the panel.
The election process has been suspended for three days following chaos during the nomination process. Students reportedly broke barricades, shattered glass panes and forcibly entered the election office.
Security personnel deployed by the university allegedly remained passive during the incident, raising concerns over their effectiveness in managing such situations.
In response, the Election Committee held internal discussions and attempted to meet the vice chancellor, who reportedly refused an audience.
The panel, subsequently, submitted a formal request to the Dean of Student Welfare, urging the deployment of Delhi Police personnel to ensure smooth conduct of the upcoming election processes, particularly voting and counting.
"The guards couldn't manage the situation during nominations. Expecting them to control a crowd of 5,000 students on polling day is unrealistic," an Election Committee member said.
A university official, however, noted that once the poll committee is constituted, the administration has no role in the electoral process.
"Police deployment is not the norm in JNU elections, unlike DUSU polls. If there are issues, the Election Committee must resolve them independently," the official said.
With only four days left until the voting day, the standoff threatens to derail the entire election process. The much-anticipated presidential debate, scheduled for April 23, is also at risk of being cancelled if the deadlock continues.
A total of 7,906 students are registered to vote this year. According to the data released by the Election Committee, 57 per cent of the registered voters are male and 43 per cent are female.
As per the original election schedule, the presidential debate is slated for April 23. Campaigning was supposed to end on April 24, and polling will take place on April 25 in two sessions' -- 9 am to 1 pm and 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
Counting will begin the same night, and results were to be declared on April 28.
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