Bhubaneswar: A premature victory claim by Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) at the city’s Rama Devi Women’s University led to chaos on Thursday night with rival ABVP supporters questioning the results and the university administration clarifying that counting of votes was yet to be completed.Hours after the BCJD announced that its candidate Sonali Behera had won the president’s post, triggering celebrations on the campus and congratulatory messages from BJD, Madhusmita Padhi, chairman of the university’s PG Council, called all three presidential candidates to the campus and asked them to allow the counting process to continue. The results had not been officially declared till 11.15 pm, more than nine hours after polling ended at 2 pm.The announcement came amid heightened tension on the campus, with ABVP candidates questioning how the BCJD representatives could announce a victory while counting was still underway. Padhi later said there had been a delay in counting and that the results would be announced soon.Earlier, the day was marked by confrontation and allegations of electoral impropriety. Police detained BCJD state president Ipsita Sahoo following a complaint lodged by ABVP presidential candidate Pratiksha Dash Mohapatra and other students, triggering protests by her supporters.According to the complaint, Sahoo and BCJD presidential candidate Fatima Khatun intercepted the ABVP candidate and other students when they visited IG Hostel on the university campus around 7 am to check on an ailing student. The complainants alleged that the two BCJD leaders abused them and were involved in a physical altercation.Later, after polling began, the ABVP representatives objected to BCJD members distributing Lord Jagannath’s ‘Mahaprasad’to voters and allegedly noting down the ballot numbers of the outfit’s candidates before they entered the polling booths. Sahoo denied any impropriety in the distribution and urged students to vote according to their conscience.As police took her away, Sahoo raised slogans accusing the ABVP of manipulating the election.The university had been witnessing tension since Wednesday over allegations that the ballot number of BCJD presidential candidate Khatun had been changed.At Utkal University too, a delay in announcing the results triggered protests by candidates outside the campus gate. They also blocked National Highway 16. The results were not declared till 11.30 pm.University officials attributed the delay to the expanded electorate, saying that, for the first time, students enrolled in self-financing and integrated courses had also voted, increasing the time required to count the ballots.
