The JNU Student Union (JNUSU) election results were declared on 9 September 2016. The LEFT union (SFI and AISA) clinched all the four seats in the elections. Post the declaration of results the campus predominantly witnessed sloganeering, primarily "RIP ABVP”. However, numbers illustrate an emergence of non-LEFT parties, particularly BAPSA (Birsa Ambedkar Phule Student Association) led by the president Rahul Sonpimple, and ABVP (Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad)

What do numbers tell: Has ABVP emerged or faded away?

JNU student union elections happen for four posts-

1. President

2. Vice president

3. General Secretary 

4. Joint secretary

Traditionally JNU has been considered as a political power play between different LEFT parties-AISA and SFI particularly. However, JNUSU elections 2016 was a contest between LEFT, BAPSA, and ABVP. This trend is unprecedented for a campus dominated by internal Leftist politics. Furthermore, two Left parties with differing ideologies (SFI and AISA are student factions with Marxist and Marxist Leninist ideologies respectively) had to unite to stop ABVP from winning a student union post. This was one of the many firsts witnessed in this election. This unity was in the words of Mohit Kumar Pandey Newly elected President of JNUSU) -"A step to stop ABVP from entering the campus". Though "wait and watch" can be the approach to examine how the two parties (SFI, and AISA) move forward, along with resolving differing views in Gender Sensitization Committee against Sexual Harassment.

On numbers, ABVP emerged as the single largest party with 24.75 percent. If parties would have fought this election individually barring apart Presidential post all the posts would be won by ABVP. Comparing the performance from last year they have bettered the presidential vote count from 924 to 1048, though on the Joint secretary position the vote count fell sharply from 1154 in 2015 to 968 this election.

The loss of vote share in Sciences school which is considered a stronghold of ABVP should be a cause of concern for them, especially after emergence of BAPSA. Going forward even winning a single seat will be a challenge for ABVP.

Though they have been successful in ensuring a considerable presence in the campus, but at the end of the day elections are all about the numbers and ABVP also needs some course correction if it wants to win the strategic JNUSU elections.

Focus on individual student betterment and campus development - student issues, ensuring campus amenities improve,  workable Wi-Fi is installed in campus,  improvement In quality of PhD scholars, better employment and research opportunities for students to name a few should form the fulcrum of their struggle. Though some of it was mentioned in their manifesto, an incoherent strategy, ineffective communication, and an average performance in the Presidential debate were significant setbacks. The lack of a charismatic leader with the ability to enthuse the entire student community is the most significant crisis the party has to face going forward.

The real winner: BAPSA

From lack of charismatic leadership in ABVP, to a party (BAPSA) led by a moving and a charismatic leader - Rahul Sonpimple; BAPSA is the "real" winner in this election. In an interview given to me post-election result, he said-" the real struggle begins now.” In 2 years under Rahul Sonpimple, BAPSA has moved from a non-entity to a becoming a principle force in the JNUSU elections. Receiving 1488 votes individually for the President post is the largest amount of votes by a single party in this elections. A combined Left front (SFI and AISA) could manage 1815 construe to the emergence of BAPSA as the "new voice of downtrodden". Inability to re-invent itself as per the changing times, the dubious response to rape case by one of its members,  differentiating among the downtrodden, no representation to Dalits in any key student union post were factors that BAPSA capitalized in order to get many votes which traditionally belonged to the Left. Going forward, expanding the base of workers,   building a party which can support his strong leadership, and keeping the principle of "continuous struggle" in mind can be the basic tenets as BAPSA marches to be an alternate to Left in JNU.

What about NSUI?

Though the Presidential candidate tried very hard, NSUI needs a strong rethink of -"what it stands for in JNU?” The position taken by the President to project the party as a Centre left alternative had few takers. It also needs to examine if NSUI is projecting itself as alternative it needs to clearly communicate, the messaging lacked coherence. Apart from presidential post in all other posts the vote count of NOTA was more than the votes received by NSUI candidate; to be precise 3 out of 4 posts.

It is an irony that the campus in the name of Nehru and standing for liberal values, freedom of speech and expression, and rationality does not have NSUI as a serious contender. The party has a long road of struggle and exploration ahead. At best it can align with BAPSA,  but at this point the question will be -whether BAPSA needs NSUI answer currently is no

Conclusion

Principally the results signify a future of diverse, competitive, pluralistic politics. There is a famous saying -" the more the things remain the same, the more they change ".

JNU has taken the step to embrace that change.