Bhubaneswar: The ABVP on Friday claimed that it secured victories in eight out of the 13 state universities in student elections held in Odisha after eight years, prompting Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to assert that the result reflects the faith of Gen Z in Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The opposition BJD-affiliated Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), on the other hand, said its candidates secured 55 to 60 per cent of the seats.
The NSUI, students' wing of the Congress, claimed that it won president posts in 30 colleges and stood second in another 80 institutes.
Student union elections in the state are not conducted on political lines, but parties back candidates.
ABVP state secretary Diptimayee Pratihari claimed that the organisation secured victories in eight out of 13 state universities, winning eight president, eight vice-president, 10 secretary, and 11 assistant general secretary posts.
She claimed that the RSS's student wing swept the entire panel at Utkal University and won all posts except the president's position at Ravenshaw University.
Pratihari said they were defeated at Rama Devi Women's University and accused rival organisations of using money and muscle power.
In a post on X, the ABVP said the BCJD won the posts of president in five universities and general secretary position in one. The post also mentioned that the NSUI secured victory in the general secretary's post in one varsity and none in the president position.
"The candidates of BCJD have won in about 55 to 60 per cent of the unions across the state, including prestigious Rama Devi Women University and Ravenshaw University," BCJD president Ipsita Sahoo told reporters.
She added that the BJD-supported candidates won in most of the women's colleges in the state.
"The victory at Rama Devi Women University is our birthday gift to our leader Naveen Patnaik. Despite efforts by the CM and conspiracies, RDWU's Gen Z did not allow ABVP to win. Similarly, BCJD registered major victories in the districts of both Deputy Chief Ministers -- KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida," Sahoo said.
Patnaik, who was the chief minister of Odisha from 2000 to 2024, turned 80 on Friday.
National Students' Union of India (NSUI) state president Bibhuti Bhusan Mohapatra said they have won president posts in 30 colleges from various parts of Odisha, including Chitrokonda, Kantabanji, and Luisingha and remained in second position at another 80 colleges.
"Despite such a short span of time, the NSUI has won the election at such a good number of colleges. I congratulate all the winning candidates of NSUI and will make all efforts to win more colleges and universities in coming years," he said.
The elections were held in 346 colleges and 13 universities across the state. A total of 6,891 candidates were in the fray, of whom 1,398 were elected. Of them, 756 won unopposed, while 642 were elected through contests, officials said.
"Heartfelt congratulations to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for its historic and spectacular victory in student union elections across colleges and universities in Odisha," the chief minister said in a post on X.
"This victory is a symbol of the unwavering faith and trust that the youth generation (Gen Z) holds in the esteemed Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji," Majhi said.
He said he was confident that the organisation will uphold the ideals of knowledge, character and unity, respect the voices of all students and foster a healthy academic environment on campuses.
"I wish all the victorious representatives a successful tenure and a bright future as they contribute to nation-building and the vision of a Viksit Odisha,"
Majhi said.
The CM alleged that the previous BJD government kept student union elections suspended to serve its political interests, depriving students of their democratic voice.
"Our government fulfilled its promise to the student community by successfully conducting the elections and restoring the spirit of democracy on campuses," Majhi said.
BJD president Naveen Patnaik, on the other hand, charged the BJP with adopting unfair means in the elections.
"I commend all the leaders of BJD and BCJD (Biju Chhatra Janata Dal) who stood firmly against the BJP government's conspiracy to win the Students Union election through injustice and unfair means," the leader of the opposition said in an X post.
The five-time chief minister also congratulated the winning candidates.
"This victory reflects the dedication and unity of Odisha's #GenZ, youth, and student power... Let us all unite to move forward in maintaining the academic environment of the college and shaping a bright future for the students," Patnaik added.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida criticised Patnaik, saying, "The BJD was afraid of youth, which is why the previous government did not hold student union elections for the past eight years."
ABVP national general secretary Virendra Singh Solanki said, "ABVP's victories in student union elections across the country, particularly in Odisha's 13 universities and colleges, reflect students' faith in democratic processes and the 'Nation First' ideology."