JNUSU polls to be held as per Lyngdoh norms

The Jawaharlal Nehru University’s general body meeting, which started late on Tuesday night, decided that the students’ union elections 2016-17 will be held just like the last four years — as per the rules laid down by the Lyngdoh Committee.

The election will coincide with the Delhi University Students’ Union elections, which will be conducted on September 9.

JNUSU general secretary Rama Naga said although the union had at first decided to boycott the Lyngdoh committee recommendations for the student body polls, the university general body meeting decided to follow the rules.

“If we do not follow the rules and boycott the election, we run the risk of handing over the students’ union to the administration to select. Once the new students’ union is selected, we will decide how to hold elections, according to the JNU constitution later in the year and challenge the Lyngdoh committee rules,” Mr. Naga said.

The Lyngdoh committee, headed by former Chief Election Commissioner J. M. Lyngdoh, had in 2005 formed a set of rules for the conduct of student election.

JNUSU had boycotted the rules and the union remained suspended for four years.

After a four-year legal battle, JNU students in 2012 agreed to a five-point relaxation in the rules and went ahead with the polls.