Patna, Jan. 2: Assembly elections are over but the political tussle over appointments is set to resume.

Five state universities are poised for a bigger battle, as vice-chancellors of these universities are going to be appointed by end of this month.

The vice-chancellors of Patna University, Bhim Rao Ambedkar Bihar University (Muzaffarpur), Jayaprakash University (Chhapra), BN Mandal University (Madhepura) and Maulana Mazharul Haq Arabic Persian University (Patna) would be appointed as their term is going to end by the third week of January.

Moreover, the appointments of vice-chancellors of these universities are likely to be influenced by political colours with contenders for the coveted posts lobbying hard at the doors of their political bosses.

Sources said till now, the departments have received more than 150 resumes of teachers and academics vying for the posts. Many of these candidates have the backing of top leaders of the ruling coalition in the state.

In Patna University, the term of the incumbent vice-chancellor Shyam Lal is set to expire on January 24. Teachers from PU as well as from other universities have applied for the post. For the PU post, the main contenders are U.K. Sinha (head of the postgraduate botany department), Ramashankar Arya (head of the postgraduate philosophy department), V.S. Dubey (head of the geology department in Patna Science College) and S.N. Guha (the vice-chancellor of Aryabhatta University). Apart from these, Patna College principal Lal Keshwar Prasad Singh is also trying his luck for the VC’s post in any of these five universities.

Sources added that Ramashankar Arya’s candidature is backed by Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary. Arya is trying hard to become the vice-chancellor of Patna University on the ground that apart from having considerable years of teaching experience, he happens to be Chaudhary’s good friend. U.K. Sinha and V.S. Dubey’s candidatures are backed by the BJP leadership. Sinha, who is at present the head of the postgraduate botany department, is also learnt to have taught deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and health minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey. Sinha also happens to have close association with other BJP leaders.

Dubey, the head of the geology department in Patna Science College, had a long relation with many BJP leaders and he is also a BJP member guiding the BJP leadership in policy decisions relating with educational affairs.

Aryabhatta University vice-chancellor S.N. Guha is also hobnobbing for the post as being a member representing the minority community (read Bengali). Guha’s representation for the post assumes importance, as through Guha’s selection, the government would want to project an image of helping and supporting the minority community.

Patna College principal Lal Keshwar Prasad Singh is also trying to become a vice-chancellor of any of the universities. Singh is the husband of Usha Sinha, a teacher from Magadh University who has recently won the Hilsa Assembly seat on a JD(U) ticket. Singh, apart from being backed by his wife, also comes from the Kurmi community, the community to which Nitish Kumar belongs.

Meanwhile, the human resource development department has made up its mind to appoint vice-chancellors from academic background. Earlier, it was assumed to improve higher education, the new vice-chancellors need to be bureaucrats. The HRD department is likely to be sent the file containing the names of the candidates for the vice-chancellors’ post to the governor by January 15. HRD minister P.K. Shahi said: “The appointment of the vice-chancellors would be done in full consultation of the governor and the state government.” Teachers and academics feel that whosoever is appointed vice-chancellors of the universities both the state government and the chancellors should strictly adhere to the UGC guidelines in the appointment process.