ABVP sweeps Hyderabad Central University student polls after seven years

ABVP

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) registered a resounding victory in the University of Hyderabad (UoH) students’ union elections, securing all six posts for the first time since 2018-19. The right-wing student organisation, affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), defeated a Left-backed coalition in the polls held on September 19.

ABVP candidates won every key position — president, vice-president, general secretary, joint secretary, cultural secretary, and sports secretary — in the elections at UoH, also known as Hyderabad Central University (HCU).

According to The Siasat Daily, the last clean sweep by the ABVP came in the 2018-19 academic year, when it had contested in alliance with the Other Backward Classes Federation (OBCF) and Sevalal Vidyarthi Dal (SLVD).

The victory drew congratulations from senior BJP leaders, including Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao, news agency PTI reported.

“Gen Z of UoH is with ABVP. From president to sports secretary, every key position has been secured. This clean sweep reflects the trust Gen Z at UoH has placed in nationalist ideology. From Punjab to DU to UoH, campus after campus, the saffron wave is turning momentum into mandate,” Bandi Sanjay Kumar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The ABVP’s Greater Hyderabad unit described the result as a reflection of students’ “commitment to nationalism and their united stand against divisive politics.” It added: “ABVP’s relentless efforts in promoting campus peace, protecting HCU lands, and addressing student concerns through movements have earned widespread support, making this a landmark moment in HCU’s history.”

PhD scholar Siva Palepu was elected president, while Debendra won the vice-president’s post. Shruti Priya secured the general secretary’s position, Saurabh Shukla was chosen as joint secretary, Venus as cultural secretary, and Jwala as sports secretary.

As per university data, 169 candidates contested across various groups, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), ABVP, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), independents and others. Voter turnout stood at over 81 percent.