MSU gears up for MSUSU polls

VADODARA: M S University's Students Union (MSUSU) elections will be held on Tuesday. Ahead of the polls, MSU officials are busy making last minute arrangements for the polls in which a total of 34,906 students are eligible for voting.

"There will be 77 polling booths at various faculties and 67 booths for counting of the votes," MSUSU president P M Shah informed on Monday, adding that a total of 25,000 ballot papers have been printed for the posts of union general secretary (GS) and vice-president (VP).

Although a total of four candidates are in fray for the post of GS and three in fray for the post of VP, the elections for the two top posts are a direct contest between ABVP and NSUI. While ABVP has roped in Dhruvdevsinh Gohil along with Parul Giri for the posts of GS and VP, NSUI's Gautam Nayak and Bhumika Barot are contesting for the top posts.

After several candidates were declared won uncontested for the posts of faculty representatives (FRs) there are now 64 candidates in fray for the 15 seats of FRs this year. "Ballot papers for the posts of FRs have been printed keeping in mind 80 percent of all faculty's student strength," said Shah, adding that there is a marginal difference in the number of counting booths compared to last year as number of seats of FRs have reduced at Faculty of Commerce.

Over 1,000 teaching and non-teaching staff will remain on poll duty and several of them will also be deployed at the university's entrance gates to check identity cards and fee slips of students. The city police to will deploy one cop each at the polling booths.

The observers committee consisting of 49 members had conducted its meeting on Monday to decide over the election preparations. After receiving complaints of bogus voting at Faculty of Technology and Engineering (FTE) and Faculty of Commerce, MSU vice-chancellor professor Yogesh Singh has directed the observers committee to inform him immediately in case of any complications during the elections.

At FTE, special measures have been taken for the elections. "The faculty has decided to keep all the booths on a single floor to avoid any complications. At the same time, there will be videography of the polls to avoid any untoward incident," added Shah. Although the last of campaigning has already ended, several student leaders moved around in the campus with vehicles carrying stickers and banners just a day before the polls. The rival camps of ABVP and NSUI are now making last minute efforts to mobilize voters to the faculties.

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