Jubilation in the IC ranks after the election at Presidency College. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

The presence of two star campaigners — Saptarshi, the son of housing minister Goutam Deb, and Hiya, the daughter of tourism minister Manab Mukherjee — failed to tip the scales for the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) in Wednesday’s students’ body elections at Presidency College.

Of the 72 seats, the SFI bagged 35, two short of the combined tally of Independents’ Consolidation (IC) — running the students’ union since 2004 — and its ally, Democratic Students’ Organisation.

To regain control of the college union — hegemony of the IC since Suchetana, the daughter of chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and Ajanta, the daughter of former CPM state secretary Anil Biswas, graduated from Presidency — the SFI leadership will have to spring a surprise in Thursday’s panel election.

“Both Suchetana and Ajanta had played a key role in the SFI’s consecutive wins in 2002 and 2003. Though they did not hold any portfolio in the students’ body, they made a difference,” said a former general secretary of the college.

Ajanta, who contested and even won in the general body elections, graduated in 2002 and Suchetana, a back-room operator, completed her graduation in 2003. The performance of the SFI in the college elections has been far from satisfactory in the past few years.

Hiya, a second-year physics honours student, and Saptarshi, a second-year political science honours student, did not contest the elections. But in the footsteps of their better-known predecessors, both took active part in the election campaigning.

“As of now, the SFI is not in a position to form the panel in Presidency College this time. But our performance has definitely improved this year,” said Debshankar Roy Choudhury, an SFI state committee leader.

The 72 elected class representatives will decide on the office-bearers of the college union on Thursday and the winning group will be announced only after the crucial panel elections.

“It is going to be a close call. We have defeated the SFI, but we cannot celebrate before the panel election is over. Anything can happen at the last moment,” said IC supporter Prithwish Barman, a third-year BA student.

Fearing foul play, elected IC class representatives have allegedly been taken to a hideout.

“The election went off peacefully and there was no trouble on campus at all. We will announce the final results tomorrow,” said Sanjib Ghosh, the principal of the college.