Odisha student union elections have put campus safety, failing infrastructure, waterlogging and basic facilities at the centre of campaigning, while protests over rejected nominations have disrupted several colleges in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
Student leaders from AIDSO, NSUI, ABVP, BCJD and independent groups began campaigning after nominations were filed for the October 15 elections. Their demands range from better security and lighting to improved hostels, sanitation, academic facilities and internal campus roads, showing how everyday failures in university administration have become central electoral issues.
At Utkal University, presidential aspirants Abhiram Mishra and Surya Narayan Nayak raised concerns about campus security and women’s safety. Nayak said the large campus had porous boundaries and inadequate security. He also pointed to the unlit road leading to the library, which remains open until 8.30 pm, and leaking classroom ceilings.
At Rama Devi Women’s University, presidential aspirant Sonali Behera has made a foot overbridge outside the campus a key demand, citing the risks students face while crossing a busy road. Candidates at BJB Autonomous College, Rajdhani College and Kamala Nehru Women’s College have highlighted academic facilities, cleanliness and campus safety.
The infrastructure concerns extend beyond Bhubaneswar. At Ravenshaw University in Cuttack, candidates have raised waterlogging during the monsoon, vacant teaching posts, poor internet connectivity and inadequate dustbins. Candidate Abhimanyu Nayak said large parts of the campus become inundated during rain, making movement difficult for students, teachers and staff.
At Shailabala Women’s College, campaign issues include hostel conditions, approach roads and sanitation. Candidates at Christ College have pointed to non-functional fans, the absence of air-conditioning in classrooms and dilapidated toilets. These complaints place campus infrastructure within the broader question of whether educational institutions are able to provide safe and functional public environments for daily use.
The election process itself has triggered protests at several colleges after final candidate lists were released. At Ekamra College in Bhubaneswar, BCJD members staged a sit-in outside the main gate, alleging discrimination during scrutiny. They claimed that all their candidates for students’ union and other association posts had been rejected, while ABVP-backed aspirants were accepted.
College authorities said nominations were cancelled on eligibility grounds, including attendance shortages, irrespective of political affiliation. The protesters demanded access to attendance registers to verify the claim. At Shailabala Women’s College, students blocked the road alleging that attendance records had been manipulated to disqualify ABVP-backed candidates. They said they had attended classes regularly but were rejected on attendance grounds.
A similar protest took place at Indira Gandhi Women’s College in Cuttack, where students burnt tyres, blocked the road and demanded cancellation of the election. The disputes have therefore moved beyond campus administration, affecting public roads and raising questions about transparency in the scrutiny process.
The final candidate lists and the scheduled October 15 elections will determine whether the protests are resolved through the institutions’ eligibility review process. Authorities have not announced any broader change to the election schedule in the reported cases.
