Patna University Students' Union Elections Proceed with Mixed Peace and Incidents
Elections for the Patna University Students' Union (PUSU) for the 2025-26 term were conducted on Saturday, largely maintaining peace across the campus except for a significant firing episode and a tense confrontation involving a presidential candidate. The overall voter participation remained disappointingly low, with only 37.84% of eligible students casting their ballots in what is typically a highly charged political contest.
Firing Incident Creates Panic at Patna Science College
Around 12:55 PM, gunshots were fired on the premises of Patna Science College, causing widespread alarm among students and staff present. According to eyewitness accounts, an individual arrived on a motorcycle, discharged two rounds into the air, and swiftly escaped the scene. Police officials promptly responded, securing the area and recovering an empty shell casing as evidence.
Town DSP Rajesh Ranjan provided details, stating, "A miscreant on a bike fired shots on the campus, and we have recovered an empty shell. An FIR has been registered, and we are reviewing CCTV footage to identify those responsible. No arrests have been made yet." Preliminary investigations suggest that the firing was likely orchestrated by a student group with the intent to intimidate rival factions and disrupt the electoral process. Authorities have initiated a search operation, leveraging forensic analysis and surveillance footage to apprehend the culprits.
Tense Scene Unfolds Over Ballot Paper Discrepancy
Earlier in the day, tension escalated when police detained independent presidential candidate Rinkle Yadav from the Patna College campus. The detention followed allegations that he created a disturbance after discovering an error in his name on the ballot papers. Reports indicate that Yadav entered a polling booth and tore ballot papers in protest, leading police to forcibly remove him to Pirbahore police station.
His arrest sparked immediate protests from supporters, who gathered outside the station, chanting slogans and demanding his release. When police attempted to escort Yadav to the vice-chancellor's office, agitated students blocked the entrance by lying down, resulting in a scuffle with law enforcement personnel. Yadav was subsequently released without further incident.
Supporters raised concerns about a potential irregularity, noting that while his nomination papers listed his name as 'Rinkle Yadav', the ballot papers displayed 'Rinkle Kumar'. Authorities have not issued an official statement addressing this alleged name mismatch, leaving questions unanswered about the integrity of the election process.
Security Measures and Voter Turnout Details
Polling commenced at 8:30 AM and concluded at 2:30 PM under stringent security protocols. Approximately 100 police personnel were deployed across the university and its constituent colleges, with additional forces mobilized from Gandhi Maidan, Kadamkuan, and neighboring police stations to ensure order.
Out of nearly 20,000 eligible voters, only 7,577 exercised their franchise, marking a significant decline from last year's turnout of 45.21%. A senior academic attributed the low participation to many students departing for their native places ahead of the Holi festival, despite the university offering full attendance incentives for voters.
PUSU chief returning officer Shankar Kumar highlighted the turnout variations: Patna Women's College recorded the highest at 59%, followed by Patna Law College at 50.66%, while Patna Training College and Magadh Mahila College saw the lowest figures at 21.2% and 21.72%, respectively.
Student Perspectives and Election Process
Students expressed mixed emotions about the election. Mamta Kumari, an undergraduate at Magadh Mahila College, shared, "I have never voted in any election so far, and I am quite excited to cast my vote in the students' union election." In contrast, Shyamal Gupta, a postgraduate commerce student, stated, "I voted for candidates whom I considered the best among the lot and capable of raising students' grievances before the university authorities."
Elections were held for five key positions—president, vice-president, general secretary, joint secretary, and treasurer—alongside council members. Counting for the main offices began after 5 PM at the College of Arts and Crafts under tight security, while council membership votes were tallied at respective polling centers. Results were anticipated late Saturday night, as confirmed by the chief election officer.
DSP Ranjan addressed allegations of bogus voting, asserting that no such cases were detected during the polling. He noted that polling agents from all candidates were present at booths, and no formal complaints identifying fake voters were received, underscoring the overall procedural adherence despite the day's disruptions.
