Student union polls axed
1 min readBettiah: Slogan-shouting, stone-pelting, burning tyres, injured students and cops and terrified shopkeepers downing shutters marked the students’ union elections in Motihari, the East Champaran district headquarters.
Election returning officer-cum-principal of MS College Omprakash Singh said perceiving threat to law and order, the student union elections had been cancelled. “The move is in larger interest of students. The next polling date will be announced after consultation with the university.”
The election to 15 posts began at 9am. But around 9.30am, some students belonging to RJD and its allies accused election authorities of favouring the rival, ABVP, and began raising slogans demanding cancellation of the polls. Soon a large number of students from different colleges joined them.
ABVP activists countered them, triggering a war of words and stone-pelting ensued between the two factions in which over a dozen students and police personnel suffered injuries. The mob dispersed only after police took to lathicharge. Motihari police station officer-in-charge Anand Kumar said the situation was under control. “We have information of bogus votes being cast in favour of ABVP candidates in connivance of the election organisers,” said Shivam Kumar, a mahagathbandhan candidate. As the news spread about the poll cancellation, ABVP activists blocked the thoroughfare near Chandmari Colony.
The administration had deployed heavy security personnel for the polls being held after 34 years in Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University colleges. #Mahagathbandhan students of MJK College Bettiah made similar charges against the authorities.
Courtesy: The Telegraph
