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It's a hunt for serious candidates in JNU

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: It will be a numbers game in more ways than one in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) elections this time round. With many more parties jumping into the fray for these elections, political activists are not only looking to woo voters but are also trying to find serious candidates who will be willing to stand for the post of councillor from the various schools before the last date for filing nominations on Saturday.

While the traditional parties might have their stock of supporters, for newer contenders and even some of the mainstream players finding the right candidates for councillors will not be easy. "We have most of our councillors in place. But you do have to run around to find really serious contenders. If every party puts up five candidates from the big schools, it is difficult to find 50 serious politically active candidates out of 1,000 students in school for every party," said a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

However, one member of a mainstream students political party admitted on the condition of anonymity that their panel was not complete. Busy looking for candidates, the party might have found some contenders, but with less than a day left to file nominations for candidates the hunt was far from over.

"It has been tough for us to find councillors in every school. This has been a problem for almost all parties. We may have supporters in the schools, but all supporters can't be put up as candidates. All serious parties have to complete their panel and put up on an average 25 people for these seats. And this time the hunt for councillors has not been easy, especially with so many parties contesting," said a political activist from a prominent student party.

Unlike in the four Central panel seats, councillors are not chosen by students because of their political ideology. Social skills and popularity are a big factor in these seats for both parties as well as students. "We are also trying to field candidates who are pursuing their Masters of Arts, as these classes have a large number of students. It is safe to think then that the candidate will get about 50 votes," said Matthew Kuzhalanadan from theNSUI.

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