After 48 years, ABVP makes history at Panjab University as Gaurav Veer Sohal wins the Campus Students’ Council president post with 3,148 votes, defeating rival Sumit Sharma by 488 votes.
Chandigarh: Making history after nearly five decades, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, has clinched the top post in the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) elections.
Gaurav Veer Sohal, a research scholar from the University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS), emerged as the new president of the students’ council. Sohal bagged 3,148 votes, defeating his closest rival Sumit Sharma, who contested from the Students’ Front and Alliance, by a margin of 488 votes.
The victory marks ABVP’s return to the central stage of student politics at Panjab University after 48 long years. While the official declaration of results is awaited from the university authorities, the celebrations have already begun on campus.
Speaking after his win, Sohal expressed gratitude to the students and assured them that his team would work tirelessly for their welfare.
“I am happy that our hard work has paid off. Many questions were raised about ABVP’s closeness with university officials, but I want to make it clear — we will fight for students’ rights fearlessly, no matter what tags are attached to us,” Sohal said.
Interestingly, the ABVP had managed to make a small breakthrough last year by winning the joint secretary’s post without an alliance, marking its entry into the council after 12 years. However, its presidential candidate had then finished third. The last time ABVP tasted significant success was in 2013, when it won the vice-president’s post, and in 2010 when it secured the secretary’s post in alliance with SOPU.
This year, Sohal contested in alliance with INSO and HRSC, which helped him maintain a steady lead throughout the counting process. However, the alliance did not perform as strongly in other positions, losing out on the posts of vice-president, secretary, and joint secretary.
The result is being seen as a turning point in Panjab University’s student politics, bringing ABVP back into the spotlight after decades of struggle. With this win, the party has not only revived its presence on campus but also opened a new chapter in the university’s political landscape.