JNSU polls: Counting resumes after being suspended for 14 hours following protest by ABVP

Counting of votes in the JNU students union polls was suspended for over 14 hours on Saturday by election authorities citing "forcible entry" and "attempts to snatch away ballot boxes" at counting venue, after the ABVP staged protests claiming it was not informed about the start of the process.

The counting, which was suspended at 4 am, resumed at 6.30 pm after two teachers from the Grievance Redressal Cell were appointed as observers for the exercise, officials said.

"Election Committee had resumed counting process at 6.30 pm. Counting agents for central panel for combined science schools and special centre remain same. Observers of the election committee will testify for the transparency in which the ballots were counted," the Election Committee said.

Sources said the counting process for the councillor posts has finished and the counting process for central panel posts of one school is over. The results will be announced on Sunday.

According to figures available, the Left and the ABVP are locked in a close fight on the central panel posts of president, vice president, secretary and joint secretary with the Left leading the ABVP on all the posts.

This was not before high drama through the day as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) which is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), clashed with members of the Left parties in the afternoon.

While the ABVP accused the members of Left parties of assaulting its members and perpetrating violence and endangering the culture of democracy, the Left levelled similar allegations against them and also accused them of occupying the counting centre.

The CRPF was deployed in the campus area after counting was halted in the morning.

The counting process was stalled after the ABVP staged a protest alleging they were not informed about the process.

The JNU election committee said, "The counting process, which began on 14 September at 10 pm has been suspended due to forcible entry into the counting venue and attempts to snatch away the sealed ballot boxes as well as ballot papers from our counting centres."
The election committee, however, issued a statement saying, "A malicious lie is being spread on social media and among students that the Election Committee had not made three announcements and went forth with the entry of the counting agents for post of Central Panel for combined schools and Special Centres."