Patna: During the counting of votes in the student union election at Patna University, officials uncovered an unusual pattern of protest on ballot papers. Many voters had written abusive or critical remarks about candidates, while others crossed out all names, effectively rejecting the choices on offer. Election authorities declared such ballots invalid, citing violations of voting protocol. The phenomenon was described as unprecedented in scale by counting staff, highlighting simmering dissatisfaction with student politics.
For the president’s post, 7,658 votes were cast, of which 7,343 were deemed valid and 315 rejected. In the general secretary race, 7,178 of 7,688 ballots were accepted, while 510 were invalidated. Officials noted that some ballots contained no selections at all, only comments or crossed-out names. A counting centre worker said abusive language had appeared on multiple papers, though the university administration declined to issue a formal statement.
The election also produced a notable result in the central panel’s vice-president contest, where independent candidate Shifat Faiz won with 1,568 votes. Support from Team Osama, a student political grouping, was credited with boosting his campaign. The group had previously backed Saloni Raj’s successful bid for general secretary in 2025, demonstrating the continuing influence of informal alliances in campus politics.
Political analysts and student leaders interpreted the surge of invalid and protest ballots as a signal of broader discontent. Some argued that voters were expressing frustration with the choices available rather than disengagement from democratic participation. The incident raises questions about the tone of student elections and the extent to which universities can foster constructive political debate.
