Two-day college union polls in University of Calicut this year

Students’ union elections for the 2026-27 academic year in over 400 colleges affiliated with Keralam’s University of Calicut (CU), along with its teaching departments on the main campus and self-financing study centres, will be held on October 14 and 15.Earlier, the election and the counting of votes used to be completed in one day. This time, however, the class representatives’ election in colleges that have opted for the parliamentary mode will be held on October 14, and the votes will be counted on the same day. Polling in colleges that have chosen the presidential mode, and the union functionaries’ election for those that have opted for the parliamentary mode, will be held on October 15. The counting will take place on the same day.According to a circular issued by the Dean, Students’ Welfare, a notification related to the election will be issued on September 29. The last date for submission of nomination papers is October 1, and the last date for withdrawal, after scrutiny, is October 5.This comes against the backdrop of the university’s plan to revamp the college election rules in line with the recommendations of the J.M. Lyngdoh Committee. The last revision of election norms happened around 25 years ago. A section of officials has claimed that violent incidents are recurring during college union elections, which, according to them, are held in violation of university laws, and legal disputes have also become a norm. The department students’ union elections on the university campus had to be cancelled last year following violence, they say.Official sources told The Hindu on Saturday (September 12) that a five-member committee appointed by Vice-Chancellor P. Raveendran to suggest recommendations has given its report to the authorities. It is likely to be taken up for discussion at a Syndicate meeting scheduled for September 19. The sources said that the suggestions of the committee could be included in the conduct of the election process this year.N. Mohammedali, director, College Development Council of the university, is the chairperson of the committee and K. Fazalurahman, Dean, Students’ Welfare, is the convener. A.M. Vinod Kumar, Preethi Kuttippulackal, and Pramod Kovvapurath are the other members.However, students’ organisations have offered a mixed response to the move to reform the election rules. While the pro-Left Students’ Federation of India has opposed the move, the Kerala Students’ Union, affiliated with the Congress, and the Muslim Students’ Federation, affiliated with the Indian Union Muslim League, have supported it. Published - September 12, 2026 06:57 pm IST