For the November 27 students' union elections in the 16 Vinoba Bhave University (VBU)-affiliated colleges of Dhanbad, a fair number of girls are fighting for various posts, bucking the trend of previous years.

This year girls fighting for various posts of the students' union is around 25 per cent of the total 183 candidates compared to the last election, held eight years ago, when less than 10 per cent of the total candidates were girls.

In Guru Nanak College, Dhanbad, the lone Sikh minority college of Dhanbad, there are three girl candidates out of total nine contesting for the posts of president (one) and secretary (two). Similarly, in BSK College, Maithon, four of the candidates out of total 11 are girls contesting for the post of president (one), vice president (two) and joint secretary (one).

In Binod Bihari Mahto College, five girls candidates out total 20 are fighting for the posts of vice president (one), secretary (three) and joint secretary (one). In Sindri College, Sindri four out of 14 candidates are girls, contesting for the posts of vice president (one) and secretary (three).

And majority of the girl candidates from the co-educational colleges are seeking votes to address issues affecting girl students like lack of enough toilets, unhygienic condition of the toilets, lack of water in the loos, absence of common rooms, lack of sporting facilities and security in the campus.

Archana Priya, a BCA Semester I student of Guru Nanak College and backed by ABVP, is contesting for the post of president. "The girls' wing of our college, situated at Bank More area, always gets step-motherly treatment from the authorities as we have to frequently rush to the boys campus situated more than 5km away from here at Bhuda for any minor official work," she complained:

Appreciating the development professor in-charge of the college Guru Nanak College Gopal Sharma, said the girls' participation in the college elections are a positive sign and he expects the girls to raise the issues affecting them.

In Law College, Dhanbad, Tulika Chakraborty, also backed by ABVP, and contesting for the post of secretary said, "The major issues affecting the girls in our college is lack of girls' common room, poor condition of wash rooms and canteen."