Stay order on Lucknow University polls setback for many

LUCKNOW: Students of the Lucknow University preparing to contest the union elections were taken aback after the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court stayed the union polls till October 17. The university has stalled all work related to the election till further directions of the court. University spokesperson Prof Rajesh Mishra said, "We will proceed only as per the orders of the honorable court."
A section of candidates contesting for the post of president blamed the petitioner for breaking the momentum after "realising that he may not be able to win the elections".This means re-scheduling of the elections from its October 15 date to some other. Postponement is not the only issue, sources in the local administration say finding a new date for the elections is a bigger cause of concern as festivals are round the corner.
Some teachers said further discussion on the order may mean cancellation of the elections. "As per Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, students elections should be conducted within two months of the starting of the academic session. But the deadline, in case of Lucknow university, was breached way back," said a member of the Arts faculty.
A teacher in the Commerce faculty reminded that Dusshera holidays were round the corner.
"Even if the court fixed the criteria and told the university to hold elections, there may not be many voters on the campus as students would proceed homewards for holidays," he stated.
Those with little interest in students politics and union elections were happy over the postponement. Some of them even prayed the elections get cancelled. "So many times our studies have suffered on account of ruckus created by candidates contesting union elections. Leadership surely helps but not at the cost of studies and academic losses," said Shreya Mishra, a first-year student.
Teachers in colleges affiliated to the Lucknow University revealed that high court order would have an impact on college elections as well. "We all follow what Lucknow University does and so the judgement on age of eligibility would be applicable to us too. The situation may be a little more complex for us as colleges reopened days after the university. Lucknow Christian College (LCC) for example reopened on July 9," said Maulindu Mishra, faculty member at LCC.