Delna Thomas of the Kerala Students Union (KSU) is on the verge of scripting history by becoming the first non-Students Federation of India (SFI) student to become member of the University College union in nearly four decades.
The final-year MA Malayalam student has almost breached the SFI bastion as she is set to be elected unopposed as the Arts Club secretary under rather dramatic circumstances.
Her competitor Al Aina Jasmine Seyd’s admission for MBBS in the Government Medical College, Kottayam, a week ago has set Ms. Thomas on the path of victory. A clash that unfolded on the college campus on Monday has, however, delayed its formal declaration that would confirm the first victory in 37 years for a student who contested against the SFI in the college.
While the SFI is set to win 10 seats unopposed, the KSU move to field candidates in four posts had generated interest. It was only three years ago that the Congress feeder had relaunched its unit in the college in the aftermath of the stabbing of an SFI activist on the campus. The occasion had then marked its rebirth after 18 years.
Accusing the SFI of concealing information of her competitor’s plan to leave the college, the KSU moved the Kerala High Court that barred the SFI candidate from taking part in the elections since she had secured her MBBS admission on February 7. With the student union elections in colleges affiliated to Kerala University scheduled for Tuesday, the judgement that was issued on Monday resulted in a flurry of activity.
Student injured
A clash that broke out after the informal declaration of Ms. Thomas’ victory left a student injured. With both the SFI and the KSU blaming each other for the incident, college Principal D. Saji Stephen decided to suspend all classes for four days until February 18. The college union elections have been postponed indefinitely in view of the violence.
The SFI has claimed victory in a majority of colleges under Kerala University in the elections held on Tuesday. It has wrested control over 20 more colleges from the KSU compared to the previous elections.
