Political heat in Odisha reached a new high on Saturday as BJP Yuva Morcha State President Abhilash Panda launched a scathing attack on the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the upcoming Student Union Elections.
Panda claimed that the opposition BJD has failed to field candidates in nearly half of the state’s colleges, signalling a sharp decline in its support among the youth.
Speaking to reporters in Bhubaneswar, Abhilash Panda criticised the former governing party for attempting to cover up its past mistakes. “Just because BJD was doing wrong during its tenure doesn’t mean everyone else will,” Panda remarked. He accused the previous BJD administration of robbing college students of their fundamental democratic rights by keeping student union elections suspended for nearly a decade.
“The fact that BJD cannot even present candidates across numerous colleges today clearly proves they have lost acceptance among the student community,” Panda added.
The upcoming elections mark a major turning point in the state’s campus politics, as student union polls are being held after a long gap of nearly nine years. Direct elections will take place across 13 universities and 328 colleges in Odisha. With the nomination process now completed, voting is scheduled to take place on October 15.
Panda expressed confidence in the student community, stating that youth are now aware of their rights and are actively participating in the democratic process. He assured that the past mistakes made by the previous government would not be repeated and appealed to students across Odisha to maintain peace and participate enthusiastically in the polls.
