Thiruvananthapuram: College union elections are so hotly contested in this part of the world that opposing student organisations leave no stone unturned to ensure victory of their candidates.
A rare case of impersonation attempt in the college union election was reported from the Christian College, Kattakada, affiliated to the University of Kerala.
The Students' Federation of India (SFI), it was alleged, attempted to sneakily replace the girl who won the college union election for the post of university union councillor, with a student leader of its choice.
There are two councillor posts in the college union elections. Two SFI members — Aromal and Anakha — had emerged victorious for the two posts after college union elections were held on December 12.
When the names of the newly elected councillors were forwarded from the college to the university, the name of A Visakh, a first-year B Sc student, was given instead of Anakha's.
The SFI apparently wanted to push Visakh to the leadership of the university union. Local reports said manipulation was done at the college level to make Visakh the chairman of the Kerala University Union. Some leaders of the CPM and SFI were behind this manipulation, claimed sources.
The office-bearers of the university union are elected through voting by the councillors elected from the colleges. The election of the university union office-bearers is scheduled on May 26.
Visakh is the Kattakada area committee secretary of SFI and had not contested the college union elections.
Principal of the college Dr G J Shaiju told 'Manorama' that the girl who won as the councillor had expressed her willingness to resign, and so, someone else was suggested. However, this cannot be done legally.
The University of Kerala alongside CPM's state and Thiruvananthapuram district leadership have received complaints about the alleged impersonation. The SFI is the student wing of the CPM.
