The decision of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to hold student union elections on November 5 has rekindled hope among students across Uttar Pradesh, who see it as a possible turning point in their long-pending demand for elected student bodies.Universities and colleges across the state have gone years without student union elections. The longest wait, however, has been at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where the last elections were held in 1997.In 2007, the Mayawati-led government banned student union elections in state universities, reportedly citing campus violence and the need to ensure that academic sessions remained on schedule. The ban was lifted in 2008.However, former Meerut University vice-chancellor V C Goel said that the government had issued no directive on conducting student union elections.Students’ concernsMeanwhile, students allege that university administrations have repeatedly cited various reasons to defer elections. They maintain that neither the state government nor the district administration has prohibited the polls, and accuse university authorities of being reluctant to hold them.“Sometimes they say the admission process is going on, and at other times they say the district administration and the state government have not given permission. They also cite security concerns, saying they lack the force to manage the situation, as criminal activity could rise during the election period,” said Vishal Singh, a PhD student in sociology at Lucknow University.Singh said Lucknow University last held student union elections in 2005. “Whenever students raise the issue, the government maintains that it has not stopped the elections and that the university should conduct them. The administration, however, has offered no clear timeline,” he added.Story continues below this adStudents argue that if Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) can hold student union elections, there is little justification for the prolonged suspension of polls across Uttar Pradesh.Situation in top universitiesAt BHU, where students say repeated demands have yielded little concrete action, the announcement has encouraged fresh discussions on how to press the administration.Rohit Rana, a PhD student at BHU, said the absence of an elected student union had left students without an effective platform to voice their concerns.“Even organising a birth anniversary celebration without prior permission can be treated as misconduct. I have been issued 26 misconduct notices,” he said, adding that students had raised the demand for elections nearly three dozen times.Story continues below this adMihir Upadhyaya, a law student at BHU, said students belonging to different groups had begun meeting to discuss how to take their demand to the administration following the developments at AMU.Students at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, too, are preparing to renew their campaign.Vivek Kumar, a PhD student in Hindi, said students had begun asking why Gorakhpur University could not hold elections when AMU, also in Uttar Pradesh, was preparing to do so.Yogesh Pratap, a postgraduate student at the university, said successive protests and hunger strikes had failed to secure a concrete commitment from the administration.Story continues below this ad“Every time we protest, the university says it will take up the matter with the authorities and write to the Governor. The protest ends, but nobody knows what happens to those assurances,” he said. The university last held student union elections in 2017-18, he added.Gorakhpur University chief proctor Professor Gopal Prasad and BHU’s Sandeep Pokhriya could not be reached for comment.At Allahabad University, students said the absence of elected unions had weakened an important avenue for political education and participation.ALSO READ | Jamia students on hunger strike over students’ union demand face rustication, suspension“Universities have traditionally been nurseries for political leaders. They are where students learn to organise, understand public policy and take part in democratic processes. If students are denied a union, how will they acquire these skills? The entire process of political education and student organisation has been crushed,” said Shashank Aniruddha, a student at the university.Story continues below this adRoshan Kumar, an undergraduate student at Allahabad University, said institutions should follow the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations and conduct student union elections.“If one university in the state can hold elections, there is no reason to exclude others,” he said.The demand has also found support among college students. Shiv Kumar, an undergraduate student at Bareilly College and the college president of the RSS-affiliated ABVP, said student union elections played an important role in students’ lives and should be held.