Insta reels a hit as campaigning for college union polls concludes in Calicut varsity

Campaigning for students’ union polls in 445 colleges affiliated with the University of Calicut, spread across five districts, concluded on Tuesday (October 13), with social media, especially Instagram reels, playing a major role in the candidates’ attempt to reach out to more voters. The elections are scheduled for October 15.

Although the practice of candidates directly meeting voters and seeking their support is continuing along with the holding of gatherings and conventions, students’ organisations are also increasingly using reels to drive home their point. Posters and videos of the candidates are being widely shared. Videos of the recent protests taken out by Opposition parties and youth and students’ organisations in New Delhi seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar are major campaign material. In some colleges, the candidates themselves are vloggers.

On the Instagram page of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) unit at Zamorin’s Guruvayurappan College, Kozhikode, the promises of its candidates, including a mobile charging station and free WiFi within the hostel, are prominently seen. On the Instagram page of the Kerala Students’ Union (KSU) unit at St. Joseph’s College, Devagiri, a candidate is seen explaining the method of voting. The Muslim Students’ Federation (MSF) unit at Farook College has posted on its Instagram page a video of two girl students discussing the benefits of an MSF-led college union.

According to sources, the voting is scheduled between 9.30 a.m. and 12 p.m. on October 15, and the counting of votes and the announcement of results are expected in the afternoon. While the SFI is contesting on its own in most of the colleges, the United Democratic Students’ Front, an alliance of the KSU and the MSF, is its biggest rival. In some other colleges, the MSF and the KSU are contesting separately.

However, in colleges where elections are not held on an organisational basis, some candidates have won the election unopposed. In most places, the students’ organisations are also focussing on winning the maximum number of university union councillor (UUC) seats with an eye on the university union polls. The UUCs vote to elect functionaries of the university union.

Meanwhile, the elections are being conducted in both parliamentary and presidential modes this time. The colleges may not be able to simply hand over the union administration to their preferred students without properly conducting the elections, as the use of ballot papers featuring counterfoils and serial numbers is mandatory. It is also a must to use ballot papers in different colours.

The colleges have also been asked to submit details about the procedures to the university. There were allegations that, at least in some colleges, the elections were held in violation of the rules.