Jubilation in the IC ranks after the election at Presidency College. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Calcutta, March 12: The presence of two star campaigners — Saptarshi, the son of housing minister Goutam Deb, and Hiya, the daughter of tourism minister Manab Mukherjee — failed to tip the scales for the SFI in Wednesday’s students’ body elections at Presidency College here.

Out of 72 seats, the SFI — the students’ wing of the CPM — bagged 35, two short of the combined tally of Independents’ Consolidation (IC) — running the students’ union since 2004 — and its ally, Democratic Students’ Organisation (DSO).

To regain control of the college union — hegemony of the IC since Suchetana, the daughter of chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and Ajanta, the daughter of former CPM state secretary Anil Biswas, passed out of Presidency — the SFI leadership will have to spring a surprise in Thursday’s panel election.

“Both Suchetana and Ajanta had played a key role in the SFI’s consecutive wins in 2002 and 2003. Though they did not hold any portfolio in the students’ body, they still made a difference,” said a former general secretary of the college.

Ajanta, who contested and even won in the general body elections, passed out in 2002 and Suchetana, a back-room operator, completed her graduation in 2003. The performance of the SFI in the college elections has been far from satisfactory in the past few years.

Hiya, a second-year Physics honours student, and Saptarshi, who is also in the second year, but studying political science honours, did not contest the elections. But in the footsteps of their better-known predecessors, Suchetana and Ajanta, both took active part in the election campaigning.

“As of now, the SFI is not in a position to form the panel in Presidency College this year. But our performance has definitely improved this time,” said Debshankar Roy Choudhury, a SFI state committee leader.

The 72 elected class representatives will decide on the office-bearers of the college union on Thursday and the winning group will be announced only after the crucial panel elections.

“It is going to be a close a call. We have defeated the SFI, but we cannot celebrate before the panel election is over. Anything can happen at the last minute,” said IC supporter Prithwish Barman, a third-year BA student.

Fearing foul play, elected IC class representatives have been taken to a safe hide-out.

“The election went off peacefully and there was absolutely no trouble on the campus. We will announce the final results tomorrow,” said the principal of the college, Sanjib Ghosh .