After eight years of silence, a new chapter of struggle and victory has been written across the state’s campuses. A strong wave of ABVP has swept through colleges and universities. From Hinjili in Ganjam to Bani Vihar in Bhubaneswar, the BJD’s student wing, BCJD, has suffered a major setback. The same BJD that allegedly used every means at its disposal to capture campuses while in power has now slipped to second place. Following these results, one big question has emerged: Have today’s Gen-Z voters rejected Naveen Patnaik?
ABVP claims to have won in more than 81% of the state’s campuses, emerging as the first choice of students. According to the organisation, it secured victories in eight out of 13 universities, winning eight president posts, eight vice-president posts, ten secretary posts and eleven assistant general secretary posts.
ABVP delivered a strong performance at BJB College and Rajdhani College in Bhubaneswar, Gangadhar Meher University in Sambalpur, Berhampur University, Vikram Dev University in Jeypore and Dharanidhar University in Keonjhar. Following the results, celebrations erupted across several campuses, with supporters expressing their joy and enthusiasm.
These elections were not merely routine polls to form student unions. They represented the hopes and aspirations of students who had been waiting for eight long years for an opportunity to elect their representatives.
Following the election results, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida launched a sharp response to a post by Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik. Pravati questioned him, saying, “If Naveen was so concerned about Gen-Z, why were student union elections kept suspended for eight years?”
On the other hand, the BJD has claimed that Gen-Z has not rejected Naveen Patnaik. Instead, it argues that the results reflect students’ struggle against irregularities and injustice in the education system. The Congress, meanwhile, has claimed that Gen-Z is raising its voice against the present government.
The BJP has questioned why the previous BJD government allegedly deprived students of their rights and asked what fear had prompted it to keep student union elections suspended. BJP General Secretary Biranchi Tripathy said that the BJP government had fulfilled its promise in accordance with its election manifesto and that the BJD could learn a lesson from the student union election results.
Following ABVP’s victory on campuses, political claims and counterclaims have intensified. While the BJP sees the results as evidence of strong support from the younger generation, the BJD and Congress interpret them as a form of protest against the government.
Now, the biggest question remains: Does this verdict on campus signal a change in the direction of Odisha’s future politics? And is this victory truly a trailer of what lies ahead?
