Cottonians celebrate the victory of Jayanta Kalita as the general secretary of the students’ union on Wednesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Sept. 10: A second-year student of Science degree course, Jayanta Kalita, was elected uncontested as the general secretary of the students union for the first time in the 107-year-old history of Cotton College.

Jayanta’s rival, Nayanjyoti Goswami, withdrew his nomination papers while college authorities rejected the nomination papers of Rajiv Deuri, another candidate, on the ground that he could not clear the internal examinations of the college.

Election officer Bhaben Kalita, who is the head of the geography department, said such an election was unprecedented in the history of the institution.

Expressing surprise over the development, another senior teacher of the college said the post of general secretary had been held by many prominent personalities of the state, including health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, power minister Pradyut Bordoloi and Guwahati MP Kirip Chaliha.

Kalita said election for four posts of the Cotton College Union Society (CCUS) — vice-president, assistant general secretary, editor of Cottonian and the secretary of general sports — will be held on September 15.

The Cotton College Union Society has 17 officer-bearers.

The candidates for the posts of secretaries for debating and symposium, social service, music, cricket, minor games, rowing, swimming and athletics, boys common room and ladies common room have won uncontested.

The posts of secretaries of cultural affairs, football and hockey are vacant because of the rejection of nomination papers. Election to these posts will be held at a later date.

Kalita said the nomination papers were rejected on various grounds, including over-age and lack of mandatory 75 per cent attendance in classes.

Reacting to the development, many former Cottonians said students are nowadays reluctant to contest the elections. They have become too studious and career-minded and find contesting polls a wastage of time.

“The trend is not very healthy and shows a lack of leadership quality among Cottonians. It is good to be career- minded. But that does not mean that students should be insensitive towards the college election, which is an opportunity to develop leadership and help in community development,” Siddhartha Goswami, a doctor and former Cottonian, said.