Chandigarh, August 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) candidate Ankit Bidhan won the presidential post of the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council on Monday, defeating his rivals by a margin of more than 500 votes in a four-cornered contest.
The victory marked the second consecutive year in which ABVP secured the top post in the Panjab University students’ council elections. A day before polling, the Student Organisation of India (SOI), the student wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), had announced its support for the ABVP candidate.
PUDF candidate Armaan Singh Bhinder won the vice-president’s post, while Independent candidates Dhyan Singh and Vishal Bamal were elected secretary and joint secretary, respectively. A total of 16 candidates contested the elections.
The presidential contest featured Gurman Singh Sidhu of the Congress-affiliated NSUI, Aadil Bir Singh of the AAP-backed ASAP, ABVP’s Ankit Bidhan and Darshpreet Singh of Sath.
Reacting to the result, senior BJP leader B.L. Santosh congratulated Bidhan and ABVP on X, noting that SOI had extended support to the ABVP nominee during the final 48 hours before polling.
Bidhan described the victory as one belonging to the wider student community.
“This is not my victory alone; it is the victory of the entire Gen Z,” he said, adding that the result demonstrated the place he believed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ABVP had among the younger generation.
Around 16,500 students were eligible to vote, including approximately 9,000 women and one transgender voter. The electorate increased by 344 compared with last year.
Outside Panjab University, Abhiraj Singh was elected president at GGDSD College, Sector 32, while Parminder Singh won the presidential post at Post Graduate Government College, Sector 46.
The polling process was not without controversy, with students protesting that they had insufficient time to cast their votes. Scuffles were also reported between students and police personnel at a polling station.
Outgoing Panjab University ABVP president Gaurav Veer Singh Sohal said the organisation had approached authorities seeking an extension of polling hours. He also said the long weekend could affect voter turnout.
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