Hyderabad: In the University of Hyderabad‘s Student Council elections, A Umesh Ambedkar bagged the president’s post with 1,313 votes after 40 rounds of counting on Sunday.
Ambedkar represents a coalition of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Ambedkar Students’ Association (ASA), Dalit Students’ Union (DSU), and Bahujan Students’ Front (BSF). Currently pursuing a PhD in Management Studies, he promises to “transform the university into a space for student development, empowerment, accountability, and inclusivity.”
Ambedkar defeated independent candidate Akash Bhati, a research scholar and former secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), who garnered 1,295 votes. The elections were prompted by the abrupt disbandment of the previous union earlier this month.
The main opposition alliance for the left was the ABVP and Sevalal Vidyarthi Dal (SLVD), which fielded Sakshi, a PhD candidate in Education, as their candidate. The ABVP prioritized the National Educational Policy (NEP) and student facilities, while the left focused on student welfare and academic growth.
In the vice-presidency race, Akash Kumar from the ASA-BSF-DSU-SFI coalition won with 1,323 votes, followed by ABVP-SLVD candidate Pawana, who received 1,110 votes. The positions of General Secretary, Joint Secretary, and Cultural Secretary were also won by Nihad Sulaiman, Triveni, and KV Krishnamurthy, respectively, all from ASA-BSF-DSU-SFI coalition.
Additionally, the NSUI (National Students’ Union of India), MSF (Muslim Students Federation), and AISA (All India Students Association) secured the Sports Secretary position with the victory of MA Media Studies student Mangpi, who received 1,234 votes. This marks the first time in a decade that the Congress-affiliated student outfit has gained representation in the council.
