An unprecedented alliance of dalit, leftist and tribal student groups swept the student union polls in the University of Hyderabad on Friday, defeating the rightwing ABVP. More than 4,000 students had voted in the polls on Saturday.
The alliance consisted of the CPI(M)-backed Students Federation of India (SFI), Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Dalit Students Union (DSU) and Tribal Students Federation (TSF). The ABVP had won the University of Hyderabad polls in 2018.
Abhishek Nandan (SFI) won the president's post, while M. Sree Charan (DSU) was elected vice president. Gopi Swamy (ASA) had won the general secretary's post. Rathod Pradeep (TSF) was joint secretary, Priyanka Badrasetty (ASA) was cultural secretary and Sohel Ahmed (SFI) sports secretary. The Left-dalit alliance also won most posts of student representatives.
Last year, the SFI had contested separately even as dalit, tribal and Muslim groups forged an alliance. The ABVP had won the 2018 University of Hyderabad polls, its first win in eight years.
The University of Hyderabad witnessed protests after the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a dalit research scholar in January 2016. After his death, dalit groups had expanded activities on the campus.
In a statement, ASA president M. Inayavan declared, “The mandate attained through the victory is a reassurance of the student community towards the struggle seeking justice for Rohith Vemula, and the struggles against exclusionary policies of BJP-led Centre in higher educational institutions.”
