Who Is Bihar’s Dhananjay, JNU Students Union's First Dalit President In Nearly Three Decades

Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU) Students' Union election results were declared on Sunday night and United Left alliance emerged victorious on all four central panel posts - president, vice president, general secretary, and joint secretary. Dhananjay, a PhD student from Bihar, emerged as the newly elected president of JNUSU.

The elections, held on Friday after a hiatus of four years saw voter turnout of 73 per cent, and witnessed intense competition between Left-backed groups like the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), and the All India Students’ Federation (AISF), and the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

A total of 19 candidates vied for positions on the central panel of JNUSU, with eight contenders competing for the presidency. Dhananjay emerged victorious by defeating ABVP’s Umesh Chandra Ajmeera by 922 votes.

Who Is Dhananjay - The new JNUSU President

Dhananjay, hailing from Gaya, Bihar, is a PhD student in the School of Arts and Aesthetics at JNU. His election as the JNUSU president marks a major milestone, as he becomes the first Dalit to hold the position since Batti Lal Bairwa's victory in 1996.

The Left alliance's sweep also saw Avijit Ghosh, Priyanshi Arya, and Mohammad Sajid winning the vice president, general secretary, and joint secretary posts, respectively, against ABVP candidates.

In his response to the victory, Dhananjay said that the outcome reflects a resounding rejection of the politics of hate and violence by the students of JNU. He expressed gratitude for the students' trust in the Left alliance and pledged to prioritise issues concerning student welfare.

"This victory is a referendum by the students of JNU that they reject the politics of hate and violence. The students have once again shown their trust in us. We will continue to fight for their rights and work on issues that concern students," he said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Dhananjay outlined key priorities for his tenure, including ensuring the safety of women on campus, addressing fund cuts, advocating for scholarship hikes, resolving infrastructural challenges, and tackling the water crisis.

The election outcomes reflected the continued dominance of the Left ideology in JNU, despite a formidable challenge by ABVP.

Avijit Ghosh (Left) secured the vice-president's post by defeating Deepika Sharma (ABVP) by 927 votes, while Priyanshi Arya (Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association, supported by the Left) triumphed over Arjun Anand (ABVP) by 926 votes for the position of general secretary. Mohammad Sajid (Left) clinched the joint secretary’s post by defeating Govind Dangi (ABVP) by 508 votes.