Overview
- A physical clash between ABVP and BCJD-affiliated students delayed a ‘Why I Stand For’ meeting at Utkal University on Wednesday and was contained after police, including the city commissioner, intervened.
- Polling opened Thursday at 8:00 a.m. and runs until 2:00 p.m. across 346 colleges and 13 universities with counting scheduled later the same day and oath-taking set for October 16.
- Authorities enforced strict checks and extra guards on campuses, with Utkal University installing more than 250 CCTV cameras and placing local police and former Army personnel at main entrances.
- Campaign conduct provoked complaints at several campuses, including R D Women’s University where BCJD supporters handed out red roses and ‘mahaprasad’, prompting objections from rival student groups.
- A total of 6,891 candidates are contesting across 359 institutions, with 1,597 college and 42 university representatives already elected unopposed as the polls test the return of campus-level democracy.