Elected students of Berhampur University. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, Nov. 9: An indirect election for the students’ union of Berhampur University was conducted peacefully today.

Earlier, the direct election process had to be cancelled following clash between two groups of students on September 28.

“The students first voted their class representatives who, in turn, elected the office-bearers of the students’ union. President, vice-president, secretary, and joint secretary of the students’ union, 10 members of the executive body, and secretary and joint secretary of the dramatic association and athletic association were chosen in the indirect election today,” said the university’s administrative officer, Ganapati Chowdhury, who conducted the election.

Forty class representatives were elected from the university’s 20 postgraduate departments to take part in the union’s election. Besides, three representatives were sent from computer application, tourism and Russian studies courses.

Jayadev Pandit has become the newly-elected president, Kapilendra Nahak the vice-president, while Ajaya Kumar Sahu and Balaram Behera have been elected assistant secretaries of the union. Sidhartha Arawal and Minaketan Behera have been elected the secretary and joint secretary of the athletic association. P. Swarup Kisan and Satyajit Singh have been elected as the secretary and assistant secretary of dramatic association.

However, many students expressed their views in favour of direct election. Bikash Behera, a student of journalism and mass communication, said: “I have participated in the indirect election process. But, a direct election would have suited us better.”

Ajaya Kumar Sahu, who was elected as the class representative of the journalism and mass communication department, also echoed Behera’s words. “Direct election for the students’ union is definitely better than the indirect one,” he said.

“Indirect election process is one of the election methods recommended by the Lyngdoh Commission. We opted for it as it would not disrupt our classes and help maintain law and order on the campus,” said N.R. Chowdhury, chairman of the varsity’s postgraduate council.

Earlier, indirect election for the students’ union of Berhampur University was conducted twice.