Student elections could soon be back in Maharashtra. Higher and technical education minister Rajesh Tope hinted that the decision regarding elections on college campuses was likely to be taken soon.
“We are in the process of making a decision about student elections in colleges, due to constant demands for it from society. I also had a word with the chief minister, Prithviraj Chavan, on the issue,” he said. He was speaking at the NCP students conference, organised by the NCP at his headquarters.
The NCP is pushing for college elections, with party leaders openly demanding them on various occasions. They were banned in the state in 1993-94, when a student from Mithibai College was murdered due to rivalries.
In 2009, the JM Lyngdoh committee, which was set up to find out the feasibility of restarting the elections, had visited the city as part of their country-wide tour, and taken feedback from various student organisations, academicians, universities, and college authorities. Though the committee submitted its report with the implication that the elections should continue, it was not mentioned explicitly, and no action was taken.
Meanwhile, the Congress is also pushing for student elections. Party MLC Sanjay Dutt, on Thursday, raised the issue in the legislative Council through a special mention. He demanded that the state government should reconsider the ban on student elections in universities and colleges.
“To inculcate the values of democracy among students, and to also give them their right to choose their own representatives, it is imperative that the government restore the election process on campus. I urge that the democratic process be restored in colleges and universities,” said Mr Dutt.