Panjab University election result: ABVP's second win fuels Akali-BJP buzz

Panjab University election result: ABVP won the presidency for a second straight year, while SOI's backing revived Akali-BJP alliance buzz. The result also highlights changing campus politics and challenges for NSUI ahead of DUSU polls.

In Short

• ABVP retains Panjab University presidency for second time
• SOI backing hints at possible Akali-BJP rapprochement
• Bidhan won with 3,149 votes, beating AAP and NSUI rivals

Panjab University’s student council elections have handed the RSS-backed ABVP a second consecutive victory in the presidential race, but the significance of the result goes beyond the campus.

ABVP candidate Ankit Bidhan retained the presidency, while the backing of the Shiromani Akali Dal’s student wing, the Student Organisation of India (SOI), has added a political dimension to the result. The understanding has triggered fresh speculation over whether the former BJP-SAD alliance could be headed for a thaw ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

ABVP BREAKS ANOTHER BARRIER AT PANJAB UNIVERSITY

Bidhan won the president’s post with 3,149 votes, defeating AAP-linked ASAP candidate Aadil Brar, who polled 2,637 votes. NSUI-backed candidate Gurman Singh Sidhu finished third with 2,263 votes.

The victory marks ABVP’s second consecutive win for the top post at Panjab University. The organisation had ended its long wait for the presidency last year, breaking what had been a decades-long hold of Congress-backed NSUI and regional student organisations over the campus.

The final results were:

• President: Ankit Bidhan (ABVP)
• Vice-President: Armaan Singh Bhinder (ASAP)
• Secretary: Dhyan Singh (Sameer) (Independent, NSUI-Backed)
• Joint Secretary: Vishal Bamal (Independent, ASAP-led alliance)

The results also underline that the ABVP victory was not a sweep. While the organisation retained the presidency, rival groups captured the remaining three key posts.

SOI SUPPORT AND THE AKALI-BJP QUESTION

The most politically significant element of this year’s election was the support extended to ABVP by SOI, the student wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

SOI had traditionally contested the Panjab University elections independently. But after its presidential candidate was rejected on technical grounds, the organisation backed Bidhan.

That support proved politically significant and has inevitably revived speculation about the possibility of a larger SAD-BJP rapprochement.

The two parties were allies for decades before their relationship broke down over the farm laws in 2020. With Punjab heading towards Assembly elections in 2027, even a campus-level understanding between their student wings is likely to be closely watched.

However, the PU result by itself should not be read as confirmation of a formal political alliance. SOI’s decision came after its own candidate was out of the presidential contest, and it remains to be seen whether the understanding extends beyond student politics.

WHY THE RESULT MATTERS FOR BJP

The result comes at a politically sensitive time for the BJP, particularly on the question of its appeal among young voters.

The CJP-led student protests and the subsequent resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had created significant political controversy around the government’s handling of education-related issues. The protests also provided opposition student groups with an opportunity to attack the BJP during the campus campaign.

Against this backdrop, ABVP’s victory at one of North India’s most politically influential university campuses gives the BJP a counter-narrative.

The message is straightforward: despite recent protests and criticism of the government, a section of Gen Z voters continues to back the BJP’s student organisation.

For the BJP, therefore, the PU result is useful not merely as a student-election victory but also as evidence that the party’s campus network remains electorally relevant among young voters.

FROM NSUI STRONGHOLD TO SAFFRON CAMPUS?

Panjab University has historically been an important arena for Congress-backed NSUI and regional student organisations. Regional outfits such as SOPU and other campus groups have traditionally prevented national student organisations from establishing sustained dominance.

That equation has now changed.

ABVP’s consecutive presidential victories suggest that the organisation has moved from being an outsider on the PU campus to becoming a serious force in student politics.

But the results also offer a more nuanced picture. NSUI-backed independent Dhyan Singh won the secretary’s post, while ASAP-aligned candidates secured the vice-president and joint secretary positions.

So, rather than a complete saffron takeover, the result points to a fragmented campus electorate in which ABVP has established a durable advantage in the most visible post — the presidency.

A WARNING SIGN FOR NSUI BEFORE DUSU

The result will also be closely watched in Delhi, where the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections are scheduled for September 18.

For NSUI, the timing could not be more significant. The organisation’s candidate finished third in the PU presidential contest, while ABVP has now demonstrated that it can win consecutive elections at a campus historically dominated by Congress-linked and regional student groups.

DUSU, however, is a much larger and different electoral ecosystem. PU results cannot automatically predict the outcome in Delhi.

Yet the political narrative matters.

If ABVP can successfully project its PU victory as evidence of continued Gen Z support for the BJP, NSUI will face pressure to demonstrate that the saffron organisation’s campus momentum is not representative of the wider student electorate.

THE LARGER POLITICAL SIGNAL

The Panjab University election is therefore less about four student posts and more about three emerging political narratives. First, ABVP has consolidated its position at a university where it was once a marginal force.

Second, SOI’s support has revived questions about the possibility of an Akali-BJP rapprochement, even if there is no evidence yet of a formal alliance.

And third, the result allows the BJP to argue that recent student protests have not translated into a broader rejection of the party among young voters.

With Punjab heading towards the 2027 Assembly elections and DUSU polls just weeks away, Panjab University has provided an early test of the mood on campuses.

The bigger question now is whether ABVP’s gains remain confined to Chandigarh — or become part of a wider trend in student politics.

- Ends