(Clockwise from top left) A candidate gets a lofty ride at Ramadevi College; sign of the colourful times at BJB College; scooter rally at Ramadevi College and show of enthusiasm at Maharshi College in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar / Cuttack, Oct. 18: Temperatures soared on college campuses on the eve of the student union polls today as rival candidates took on each other with pompous speeches and lofty promises at the “What I Stand For” meeting.

A loud bang resonated this afternoon on Ekamra College campus in the capital, with a presidential candidate accusing his opponent of having hurled hand bombs near the college building to create panic.

“The ‘What I Stand For’ meeting for Plus Two students was in progress when my rival’s supporters started throwing water pouches and stones at us. One of my friends suffered head injuries. Then we heard a loud noise. Later, we realised it was a low-intensity blast,” said Biswaranjan Pattanaik, a presidential candidate.

However, college authorities said they would go ahead with polling tomorrow. “As today was the last day for campaigning, some mischief-makers must have burst crackers, which is in violation of the Lyngdoh Commission’s recommendations. We will take preventive measures so that no such incident is repeated tomorrow,” said Parikshit Das, who is looking after election affairs at Ekamra College.

Ideal leader

As candidates made a final push to woo voters, students and college authorities talked about the qualities a presidential candidate must possess.

“Personal accountability, integrity and good communication skills are must-have traits in any leader. One must know how to handle stress and work under pressure,” said Arnav, a final-year student of economics at BJB College.

Suresh Chandra Patnaik, principal of BJB College, said academic credentials and a strong character mattered the most.

Smarapriya Mishra, registrar of Ravenshaw University in Cuttack, said the students’ union president must have the ability to connect with everyone.

Snigdha Sahoo of Shailabala Women’s College said: “We want our president to be honest in her words and deeds,” said Sahoo.

Driven by spirit

A large number of visually challenged candidates are contesting the polls at various colleges in the twin cities.

Rajiv Lochan Sahoo, a visually challenged Plus Three first-year student, who is contesting for the post of vice-president at BJB College, visited classrooms and tried to convince the students about his ability to resolve problems. He promised better books in the library and improve the college auditorium.

At Ravenshaw University in Cuttack, three visually challenged students are contesting for various posts. The trio plan various welfare activities for students, especially the differently abled.

“There are a lot of issues that need to be addressed for visually-challenged students. One of them is the availability of books in Braille format,” said Bishnu Mallick, a political science student.

His friend Kushadhar Bag, who is in the fray, said: “Despite the challenges confronting us, we will work together and bring about a change in our university.”

Eminent disability activist Sanyas Behera said the growing interest among visually-challenged persons to take part in college elections was a “healthy sign”.