Cooch Behar, Jan. 17: Thakur Panchanan Mahila Mahavidyalaya, the only women's college in Cooch Behar town, will hold its first students' union elections this year since it was established in 1981.

The election process has started and students have been collecting nomination papers in the presence of police, never seen on this campus all these years. Polling will be held on January 20.

Instead of elections, each year, a second-year student was nominated by others to represent them in administrative meetings.

"Our college did not have union elections since its foundation. This year, we are having elections for the first time. Election will be held for 30 posts and 303 nomination forms have been collected by students," said principal Manjuri Biswas. There are 2,600 students in the college, she said.

The father of a student of the college expressed his apprehension that the atmosphere in the college would change after the elections.

"For many years, the college held on to the tradition of shunning party politics. In other colleges in the district, we see clashes between TMCP and the Opposition, and faction fights within students' fronts. After 2011, we have seen unsavoury incidents like the manhandling of the principal of Raiganj College and a spate of campus clashes. My daughter's college was praised for shunning campus politics. Most guardians preferred to admit their daughters to Thakur Panchanan Mahila Mahavidyalaya because of the peaceful academic atmosphere. But now, we are fearful of the introduction of campus politics," he said.

Some students were looking forward to the elections. "Why should student politics always be linked to violence?" asked Nupur Banerjee, a second-year student.

However, a student who wanted to remain anonymous said: "Our studies are bound to be affected with political parties wanting their students' fronts to participate in meetings and rallies."

Amina Ahmed, the president of the college governing body and vice-chairman of Cooch Behar municipality, said elections were not held in the college as the students had signed a petition and sent it to the university saying they were against the holding of elections.

"We always respected the stand of the students. But this year, some students have written to the Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University wanting elections. That is why the elections have been introduced. I am confident that there will be no tension after this," Ahmed said.

The TMCP district working president, Sayandeep Goswami, said the union had fielded candidates for all 30 posts. "We have won 12 uncontested and the DSO has candidates in 18 other posts and we are confident of free and fair elections," he said.