Janhawi Ojha, the Presidential candidate of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, spoke to the Founder of Jan Ki Baat, Pradip Bhandari, about the Universitys atmosphere and whether it has been able to warm upto the BJP-RSSs student wing. The recent comments by a party worker were condemned by many; Ojha says that the culture of JNU has always been student-friendly and women-friendly and the recent problem is caused by certain newcomers whove joined the party. Regardless of ideological disagreements, the issue would be handled fairly by the partys senior comrades. ABVPs slogan this year is If you vote, youll need a report. This report, Ojha claims, has been prepared over a year and isnt a cheap product of a month-long labours.
The process of filing nominations has begun and the final list of candidates will be declared on September 1, followed by a press conference. Polling is set for September 9. Last year, CPIs student wing All India Students Federation (AISF) had won the JNUSU polls winning the presidents post, while ABVP had secured one of four central panel slots after a gap of 14 years.
The ABVP is a recent entrant in the JNU political scene. Will it find space for itself?