File picture of lawyers picketing outside the court in Sambalpur

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 9: The ongoing agitation by lawyers for a permanent high court bench in western Odisha has hit campaigning for students’ union elections in several colleges of the region.

There is also a high chance that campus polls might not be held in the region this year.

“Campaigning is going on, albeit a little slow. It has been affected the most in Sambalpur district because it is the epicentre of the lawyers’ unrest. All political parties have unanimously decided not to take part in the civic polls in western Odisha. But campus elections have not been affected so far,” said Biju Chhatra Janata Dal state president Byomakesh Ray.

Satyajit Patnaik, president of the Congress party’s state youth wing, said with regular classes in colleges being paralysed, campaigning had been disrupted.

“The candidates have not got enough opportunity to interact with new students because colleges have remained closed for the better part of last month due to the strike. There is hardly any enthusiasm on the part of the candidates. So, campus as well as home campaigning looks a little difficult at the moment,” he said.

The unrest continues as talks between the state government and the Central Action Committee, which is spearheading the protest, failed. The agitation, however, has been temporarily suspended in view of Nuakhai, a major festival in the area.

Patnaik said it was unlikely that the students’ union elections would take place in western Odisha this year.

“Campus elections are very important, but we all support the demand for a permanent high court bench. All the political parties have already decided not to take part in the civic polls. If they take a similar decision about college elections, we will welcome it,” he said.

“There are nearly 500 colleges under Sambalpur University and we all support the lawyers’ demand. Students in government and private colleges are united for this cause. It has almost been decided that we will shun campus elections until the approval for a separate high court bench in western Odisha comes,” said Ajit Kumar Rout, who heads the Sambalpur unit of Biju Chhatra Janata Dal.