Mumbai, Sep 25 (PTI) The University of Mumbai has conducted the much-delayed senate elections for 10 seats, in a contest where the Shiv Sena (UBT) is seeking to strengthen its hold and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) challenging the status quo.
Nearly 55 per cent voting took place at 38 polling centres and 64 booths in the elections, which were pending for two years, held on Tuesday, an official said. The senate is MU’s highest elected decision-making body.
There are 13,406 registered voters, who are graduates. Counting will be held on September 27.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray had won all 10 seats in the last two polls.
The RSS-affiliated ABVP also fielded 10 candidates, while one candidate of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s student wing is in the fray this time.
Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, his mother Rashmi Thackeray and brother Tejas Thackeray cast their votes on Tuesday, in the battle which has become a high prestige issue for the party.
ABVP public relations in-charge Nilesh Tharwani alleged that the youth wing of Sena (UBT) “resorted to deceit and deploying fraudulent polling agents”.
“This blatant misconduct not only exposes their unethical tactics but also underscores their growing fear of ABVP’s strength and integrity,” he said.
Besides being the highest elected decision-making body, the senate is also the watchdog of Mumbai University. It has representatives of teachers, principals and the management, registered graduates and students’ council empowered to pass MU’s budget.
However, there is a ban on students’ council polls in Maharashtra. MU’s senate elections are unlike the students’ union polls of the Delhi University or Jawaharlal Nehru University where those contesting polls have to be students of the respective varsities.
The polls, earlier scheduled on September 22, were held on Tuesday on the directions of the Bombay High Court.
The HC last week directed that the university’s senate elections be held on September 24 after staying a state government circular postponing the polls which it noted was a last-minute intervention. PTI PR GK NR
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