AASU-backed candidates win 7 seats in Cotton University students' union polls; ABVP gets 4

Candidates backed by the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) won seven seats in the Cotton University Students' Union (CUSU) elections, including the posts of president and general secretary, while candidates supported by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) secured four seats.

Candidates backed by the Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti won three seats, while the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) failed to secure any post in the elections.

Hariprasad Chetia and Ujjal Deka, both AASU-backed candidates and boarders of RKB Hostel, were elected president and general secretary, respectively.

Among the other AASU-backed winners were Anjali Mardi, who won the debate secretary post, and Debasmita Baruah, who was elected cultural secretary.

The ABVP-backed candidates who emerged victorious were Cynee Baruah, who won the assistant general secretary post; Geetsrishti Hazarika, who was elected social service secretary; Divyajyoti Rabha, who won the boys' common room secretary post; and Krishamoni Rabha, who was elected athletics secretary.

The election results were declared on Thursday after polling was held on September 30. The university had issued a series of notifications for the CUSU elections, including the final voter list, polling arrangements and counting process.

The 14 elected office-bearers are:

President: Hariprasad Chetia
Vice President: Angelina Basumatary
General Secretary: Ujjal Deka
Assistant General Secretary: Cynee Baruah
Cultural Secretary: Debasmita Baruah
Athletics Secretary: Krishamoni Rabha
Minor Games Secretary: Nandini Doley
Tennis, Swimming & Gymnasium Secretary: Nayanjyoti Loing
Cottonian Secretary: Avinash Bora
Boys' Common Room Secretary: Divyajyoti Rabha
Girls' Common Room Secretary: Liza Pegu
Debate Secretary: Anjali Mardi
Social Service Secretary: Geetsrishti Hazarika
Music Secretary: Disha Pathak

The results underline the continuing presence of competing student organisations in the electoral politics of Cotton University, one of Assam's prominent higher-education institutions. The university, originally established as Cotton College in 1901, became a state university in 2017.