The 2025 Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) elections concluded with a partial victory for the Left-backed alliance while the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) broke a 9-year drought by winning a key central panel seat.
Nitish Kumar of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) was elected JNUSU president with 1,702 votes, defeating ABVP’s Shikha Swaraj who polled 1,430 votes. The Students’ Federation of India (SFI)-backed Tayabba Ahmed came third with 918 votes.
The Left coalition secured three of the four top panel positions. Manisha of the Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF) won vice president with 1,150 votes, narrowly beating ABVP’s Nittu Goutham who received 1,116 votes. For general secretary, DSF’s Munteha Fatima emerged victorious with 1,520 votes against ABVP’s Kunal Rai who managed 1,406 votes.
ABVP’s Historic Breakthrough with Vaibhav Meena
In a significant breakthrough, Vaibhav Meena of ABVP won the Joint Secretary post with 1,518 votes, defeating AISA’s Naresh Kumar who got 1,433 votes. PSA’s Nigam Kumari secured 1,256 votes. This is ABVP’s first central panel victory since 2015-16, when Saurav Sharma held the same post. The last time ABVP held the presidency was back in 2000-01.
ABVP also performed strongly in the councillor elections, winning 23 out of 42 seats across 16 schools and special centres — the highest number secured by any student organization this year.
Split in the Left and High Turnout
This year’s election, held on April 25, saw a turnout of 5,500 voters out of 7,906 eligible students. The Left bloc was divided, with AISA and DSF contesting jointly, while SFI, AISF, BAPSA, and PSA formed a separate coalition. The ABVP contested independently.
Post-Election Reactions
Reacting to the results, AISA called ABVP’s win a “matter of concern” and accused the government of trying to influence campus politics by appointing ideologically aligned faculty. “Despite this structural assault, the Left has returned to leadership in JNUSU,” said an AISA statement.
On the other hand, ABVP called its win a “democratic revolution” and attributed it to rising support for nationalist values and tribal consciousness. “This success embodies the aspirations of students who seek to uphold cultural identity while advancing through education,” said Vaibhav Meena, who promised to win all four posts in the next election cycle.
Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya hailed the results as a historic shift, tweeting: “ABVP has delivered an unprecedented performance… This is proof of students’ faith in nationalist thinking.”
Manisha, the newly elected vice-president, thanked the students for their support and vowed to continue working for their interests. “The credit for this win goes to JNU. We have always raised students’ voices, and we will continue to do so in the future too,” she said.
Reacting to the results, AISA described the ABVP’s narrow win as a “matter of concern” and accused the ruling regime of manipulating faculty appointments to favour BJP loyalists. “Despite this structural assault, the Left has returned to leadership in JNUSU,” AISA said in a statement.
The ABVP hailed Meena’s victory as a “historic shift in JNU’s political landscape”, calling it a “democratic revolution” against the Left’s long-standing dominance. “This victory is proof of students’ faith in nationalist thinking and a commitment to rebuilding the nation,” the ABVP said.
Vaibhav Meena, the newly elected joint secretary, attributed his success to the resurgence of “tribal consciousness and nationalist ideology” on campus. “This success embodies the aspirations of students who seek to uphold cultural identity while advancing through education. We will win all the four seats in the next elections” he said.
“Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) conquered: Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) candidate Vaibhav Meena has been elected as Joint Secretary. And it doesn’t stop there. ABVP has delivered an unprecedented performance in the JNUSU elections, winning 23 out of 42 councillor seats across 16 schools and special centres — the highest number of seats won by any student organisation,” said senior BJP leader Amit Malviya while praising ABVP’s performance in the elections.
Also read: Delhi Government Passes New Bill To Regulate Private School Fees
