JNUSU Elections 2025: Left Sweeps 3 Posts, ABVP Makes Comeback After 9 Years – News18

Last Updated:April 28, 2025, 09:06 IST

Left alliance wins 3 key posts in JNUSU elections 2025, while ABVP ends a 9-year wait by clinching the Joint Secretary post in a fiercely contested poll.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) elections concluded late on Sunday, bringing major wins for the Left alliance of AISA and DSF. The alliance secured three out of the four central panel posts, while the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) made a strong comeback by winning one post.

Nitish Kumar from the All India Students’ Association (AISA) was elected as the new President after securing 1,702 votes. He defeated Shikha Swaraj of the ABVP, who got 1,430 votes. For the Vice-President post, Manisha from the Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF) won with 1,150 votes, just ahead of ABVP’s Nittu Goutham, who secured 1,116 votes.

The post of General Secretary also went to DSF, with Munteha Fatima winning 1,520 votes, defeating ABVP’s Kunal Rai who received 1,406 votes. The ABVP managed to clinch the post of Joint Secretary, with Vaibhav Meena winning 1,518 votes. He beat AISA’s Naresh Kumar, who got 1,433 votes, and PSA’s Nigam Kumari, who secured 1,256 votes.

This marks the ABVP’s first win on the JNUSU central panel since 2015-16 and its first victory on the post of Joint Secretary in nearly a decade. The last time ABVP won the President’s post was way back in 2000-01.

Left Alliance Celebrates Victory, ABVP Calls It A ‘Shift In JNU Politics’

This year’s elections were significant because of a split in the traditional Left alliance. While AISA and DSF contested together, SFI and AISF formed a separate coalition along with BAPSA and PSA. ABVP contested the elections independently.

After the results, AISA celebrated the alliance’s victory but also expressed concern over ABVP’s narrow win for the Joint Secretary post.

“It is indeed a matter of concern that the ABVP has won the post of joint secretary with a margin of 85 votes. Despite this structural assault and corruption of the admission process to ensure BJP loyalists in faculty positions act as a ticket for the ruling regime on campus, the Left has returned to its leadership position in the JNUSU,” AISA said in a statement.

In contrast, ABVP called its victory a “historic shift” in JNU’s political landscape. They described it as a rejection of Left ideology and a win for students who believe in nationalism and cultural identity.

“This victory in JNU is not only proof of the ABVP’s proactive hard work and students’ faith and commitment to nationalist thinking but it is also a victory for all students who consider education as the foundation for nation-rebuilding. This is a democratic revolution against the so-called ideological tyranny established by the Left for years in JNU,” the ABVP said in a statement.

This year’s polls saw high participation, with around 5,500 students voting out of 7,906 eligible voters. Though slightly lower than 2023’s turnout, it was still one of the highest in a decade. Twenty-nine candidates competed for the four central panel posts and 200 candidates vied for 44 councillor seats.