Bhubaneswar: Students are preparing for the students' union elections to held next month at various colleges and universities in the city.

Aspirants in various colleges in Bhubaneswar have started campaigning. With the new academic session underway, campuses across the state are teeming with new faces.

"Student leaders are leaving no stone unturned to put their best foot forward to win over the freshers. Student union bodies are necessary for an educational institution and it is important to know the candidates before voting," said Manisha Jena, a student of BJB College.

Welcome ceremonies are being hosted by the seniors of various departments at the colleges and the prospective candidates are using it as a platform to promote themselves.

Some are planning to take took the advantage of Ganesh Puja celebrations.

"Ganesh Puja is a hugely popular festival and almost all students are guaranteed to attend the celebrations. So, we trying to use this occasion for campaigning," said student leader Arpita Sahu.

Aspirants of Utkal University have been interacting with the freshers since the day they joined the varsity giving them a tour of the campus as well. Tapas Behera, a probable candidate at the varsity, plans to meet students individually, especially the hostel boarders, seeking support along with campaigning through the social networking sites.

"I will make use of technology for campaigning, including sending mails and putting up my poll promises on Facebook," he said.

Meanwhile, various institutes in the state have started taking steps to maintain peace on the campus. Many are deploying security personnel to avoid violence of any kind.