JNUSU polls: Counting starts after 12 hours of disruption
New Delhi, Sep 15 : The counting for Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) polls started on Saturday evening after more than 12 hours of interruption, caused by some people belonging to a political group contending for the top posts who had barged into the counting centre.
The Election Committee (EC) assigned the task of conducting polls said the counting resumed after the Grievance Redressal Committee appointed an observer -- who happens to be a JNU Professor -- to be present during the counting.
Earlier, the counting was stopped at around 4 a.m on Saturday when some Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists insisted on entering the counting centre and a demanded a recounting of votes, accusing the EC of colluding with the Left groups and keeping them deliberately out.
The EC in its turn said that announcements were made for the candidates' agents to join the counting at the centre as per rules, but they cannot join the process once the ballot box seals are broken.
The polling for the annual union elections was held on Friday in which nearly 70 per cent students exercised their franchise to elect their President, Vice President, General Secretary and Joint Secretary.
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Vijayan calls Congress 'B-team' of BJP amid Rajya Sabha poll results
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday accused the Congress of acting as the "B-team" of the BJP, citing developments in the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha and Bihar.
"The results of today's Rajya Sabha elections once again confirm the reality that the Congress party functions as the B-team of the Sangh Parivar," the veteran CPI(M) leader said in a statement here.
"While the Congress seeks votes from the people by raising slogans against the BJP, it repeatedly adopts a political approach that opens the door for the BJP's victory at crucial moments," he added.
His remarks came as voting for four Rajya Sabha seats in Odisha was held on Monday, with reports that at least five MLAs from the opposition Biju Janata Dal and Congress cross-voted in favour of a BJP-supported Independent candidate.
Vijayan said such developments showed a pattern in several states.
"This is not an isolated incident. In several states, it is the Congress that has created conditions for the BJP to gain additional Rajya Sabha seats through MLA resignations, cross-voting and political manoeuvring," he said.
Referring to Bihar, he said the political situation there had further strengthened the argument.
In Bihar, the ruling NDA made a clean sweep of all five Rajya Sabha seats in the biennial elections held on Monday.
Among those elected were Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur, BJP leader Shivesh Kumar and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha.
According to officials, at least three Congress MLAs and one from the Rashtriya Janata Dal did not turn up for voting, which helped the NDA secure victory.
"Anti-BJP slogans in public, but support for the BJP in practice -- this is the real politics of the Congress," Vijayan said.
"The Congress claiming to be the leader of secular politics while shamelessly helping the BJP is nothing but a mockery of Indian democracy," he added.
