If the results of the Free Students Union election are anything to go by, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML had a neck to neck competition, with the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) trailing behind, as the sister wings of the first and second largest parties won most seats in the college polls held on Wednesday.

Out of the around 290 colleges under the Tribhuvan University and the Nepal Sanskrit University, where the elections were held, the NC-affiliated Nepal Student Union has claimed to have won presidency in 105 colleges while the All Nepal National Free Student Union, aligned with the UML, has secured win in 101 colleges.

The All Nepal National Independent Student Union-Revolutionary, close to the Maoist Centre, grabbed the third spot with victory in 70 colleges. As the NSU and the ANNISU-R —their mother parties are the governing allies—had formed alliances in many colleges, it tested the ANNFSU’s real strength. The election, however, did not take place in major colleges, which could have given a clearer picture of the unions’ popularity.

Despite winning in the highest numbers of colleges, the NSU had dismal performance in Kathmandu Valley where the ANNISU-R got victory in Thapathali Engineering College, Pulchowk Engineering College and Sanothimi College while the ANNFSU won in the Maharajgunj Medical Campus, its Nursing Campus and the Kathmandu

Engineering Campus, among others, where the number of students is relatively higher.

The number of students is higher in the constituent colleges, where the elections have been disrupted by the student unions. Polling took place in 22 of the 60 TU constituent campuses and in around 240 affiliated colleges, of the total 1,084, while elections were held in 20 colleges under the Sanskrit University.

“We are excited by the results. This reflects that our union and party are popular across the country,” said NSU President Nain Singh Mahar. However, ANNFSU leaders claim that since the union fought alone in a majority of the colleges, the results show that the UML and its sister wings are most popular across the country.

“Had the NSU and the ANNISU-R not formed an alliance, we would have been way ahead of others,” said RC Lamichhane, spokesperson for the ANNFSU. Leaders from both the unions, however, agree that the real picture would have been revealed had the election taken place in the TU Central Campus, Ratna Rajyalaxmi Campus, Tri-Chandra Campus, Nepal Commerce Campus, Saraswati Campus, Shanker Dev Campus and Padma Kanya College, among others.

FSU candidate found hanging

A presidential candidate for the Free Students Union election at Siddhartha Multiple Campus was found hanging at her residence in Phedikhola-9, Syangja, on Thursday.

It was not clear yet whether 20-year-old Rima Chhetri, a BBS first year student, killed herself after her defeat in the polls or for any other reason, police said. Chhetri had filed her candidacy for the Nepali Congress-affiliated Nepal Student Union. According to district police chief SP Dev Bahadur Bogati, a suicide note was recovered from the scene. 

Chhetri, who had conceded defeat after the results were announced on Wednesday, had taken part in the NSU victory rally at Tribhuvan Adarsha Multiple Campus in the district headquarters. “She had left for home after dinner,” said NSU district chief Ajit Chhetri. The next morning, Chhetri made an excuse to stay home, Ajit said. Her body was brought to the district hospital for post-mortem.