: The All India Students’ Federation (AISF), of which sedition accused Kanhaiya Kumar is a member, is not contesting the JNU Students’ Union polls this year for which the final list of candidates was declared here on Thursday.
Last year, the AISF had for the first time independently contested the polls, with Kanhaiya elected as President.
During his tenure as JNUSU President, Kanhaiya became centre of a major controversy when he along with two other students was arrested in a sedition case over an event on campus during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
This year, AISF, which is the student wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI), has decided to offer support to the alliance of All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Students’ Federation of India (SFI).
This is for the first time that AISA, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), and SFI have formed an alliance for the polls. The Students’ Front for Swaraj (SFS), the student wing of AAP’s breakaway group Swaraj Abhiyan, has also fielded its candidates for the four crucial central panel posts in JNU for the first time.
The polling will be held on September 9, and the counting of votes will begin on the same night. The Presidential debate will be held on September 7.
The nomination and withdrawal process has concluded. Five candidates are in fray for the post of President.-PTI
