After PU and DU, ABVP wins 8 of 13 Odisha universities in student polls

The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad won in eight of Odisha's 13 state universities in the October 15 student union elections. Union Home Minister Amit Shah described the result as a "stern response to anti-national forces", while the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal claimed victories across a majority of college unions.The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad won in eight of Odisha's 13 state universities in the October 15 student union elections. (Photo: X/ABVP)Bhubaneswar,Oct 17, 2026 17:10 ISTThe Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has won in eight of Odisha's 13 state universities in the student union elections held on October 15. The result drew a response from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who described the victory as a sign that young people supported the “Nation First” ideology.The results come after ABVP victories at Panjab University and Delhi University, which Shah also referred to in his congratulatory message. However, the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), the student wing of the Biju Janata Dal, has disputed the broader picture of the results, claiming that its candidates won a majority of college unions across Odisha.ABVP CLAIMS KEY UNIVERSITY WINSAccording to PTI, the Odisha ABVP said its candidates won eight president, eight vice-president, 10 secretary and 11 assistant general secretary posts across eight state universities.ABVP state secretary Diptimayee Pratihari claimed that the organisation swept the entire panel at Utkal University. At Ravenshaw University, she said, ABVP won every post except that of president. BCJD candidates, meanwhile, won the president's post in five universities and the general secretary's post in one. The National Students' Union of India (NSUI), supported by the Congress, won the general secretary's post in one university.AMIT SHAH CALLS IT A ‘NATION FIRST’ VICTORYCongratulating ABVP office-bearers, Shah said the results sent a message about the ideology supported by the country's youth. “First Panjab University, then Delhi University, and now in Odisha, this victory of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad clearly conveys the message that the youth power of the country is firmly aligned with the 'Nation First' ideology,” he wrote in a post on X.“This result is a stern response to the anti-national forces,” he added, in an apparent reference to the ongoing agitation against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).BJD STUDENT WING CLAIMS COLLEGE VICTORIESStudent union elections in Odisha are not formally held on political lines, although political parties support candidates. The ruling BJP backed ABVP candidates, the BJD supported BCJD candidates, and the Congress backed NSUI candidates.BCJD president Ipsita Sahoo said the organisation had won “about 55 to 60 per cent of the college unions across the state”, including at Rama Devi Women's University and Ravenshaw University. She also claimed that BJD-supported candidates won in most women's colleges in Odisha.The university results and the competing claims over college unions offer different pictures of the outcome, with ABVP highlighting its wins across state universities and BCJD pointing to its performance in colleges.- Ends