Left-Dalit panel triumph in the UoH election, President post kept on hold
Hyderabad: In the University of Hyderabad’s Student Council elections, the SFI-ASA-BSF-DSU panel has triumphed in the University of Hyderabad Students’ Union election. The president’s post was kept on hold due to the protests in the University of Hyderabad(UoH).
The election had witnessed a three-way competition. On one side were the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Ambedkar Students’ Association (ASA), Dalit Students’ Union (DSU), and Bahujan Students’ Front (BSF). On the other side was Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP). In addition, there was a self-declared alternative political alliance, which included the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Muslim Students’ Federation(MSF), and All India Students’ Association (AISA) coalition.
Umesh Ambedkar, who was contesting for the president’s post, was leading the election with a slight margin of 26 votes after the last round. Meanwhile, independent candidate Akash Bhati, a research scholar and former secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), who was leading till the last round, left with 26 votes short of majority.
Ambedkar represents a coalition of the SFI-ASA-DSU-BSF alliance. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Management Studies. Akash Bhati, a research scholar and former secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), was disassociated from the ABVP by the UoH unit on 20th October 2024. In a statement, the ABVP said, “Akash Bhati has no affiliations with our organization.ABVP fully disassociates itself from him, anyone associated with him, and any actions they may undertake.” The elections were necessitated by the abrupt dissolution of the previous union earlier this month.
ASA-BSF-DSU-SFI coalition won the following positions: Vice President- Akash Kumar, General Secretary-Nihad Sulaiman, Joint Secretary-Triveni, Cultural Secretary-KV Krishnamurthy, ICC-GSCASH (Integrated)-Khushi Prerna Tigga,ICC-GSCASH (PG)-Shrutikirti, and ICC-GSCASH (Research)-Bhavitha. 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.
In a landmark event, the NSIU-MSF-AISA alias candidate won the Sports Secretary position with 1234 votes in the2024 Students’ Union elections, for the first time in 10 years.
Supporters of independent candidate Akash Bhati, alleges conspiracy and protests
After the loss, Supporters of independent candidate Akash Bhati called for a protest. An internal message forwarded within the UOH community read, “We’re fighting for our right to be heard! Bhati Bhaiya stood alone against an army of political giants. He battled tirelessly, without the support of any party, winning the hearts and trust of the people. Victory was within reach—but when the establishment saw Bhati Bhaiya rising, they conspired against him. They invalidated his votes, tried to silence him, and when we demanded answers, they responded with lathi charges on Bhati Bhaiya and his supporters.
Further, the message added, “This isn’t just about Bhati Bhaiya—it’s about each one of us. This is our stand against corruption, injustice, and suppression. We will not be intimidated, and we will not be moved. Until every vote is respected and every voice is heard, our chakaa jam will remain. Today, we stand for justice, for Bhati Bhaiya, and for every citizen who believes in truth. We are united, we are unstoppable, and we demand justice. Jai Hind!”
Reportedly, UoH Deputy Registrar G V Reddy kept the president post result on hold until the grievance committee decided.