Trinamool Chhatra Parishad may stay away from President polls

KOLKATA: Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) - the students' wing of Trinamool Congress - may not contest the Presidency University union elections slated on March 1. "We have not yet taken any formal decision. But we may not contest the Presidency elections," said president of TMCP, Shankudeb Panda.
Meanwhile, TMCP seems to have found a foothold in Jadavpur University union elections.Going without any representation in JU elections since their foundation, TMCP will now field its candidates in the upcoming elections in Faculty of Arts on March 14. They had participated in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Student's Union (FESTU) elections in 2010, but failed to bag any post.
While on one hand TMCP is rejoicing their participation in JU union elections, they will probably have to keep their hands off from the Presidency University union elections which are slated on March 1.
Panda justified the stand of his party on Presidency union polls by claiming that the Presidency University union
elections there do not have any constitutional approval. "The statute is not yet in place. There is no formal approval for holding union elections before the statute is framed. The university is functioning as per the rules and regulations in the existing Presidency University Bill which was passed in the assembly in 2010. However, in the absence of a statute, no university can form any union. Even if it holds elections, the union will have no legal existence," said Panda, adding that as a responsible students organization they should not participate in such union polls which have no constitutional acceptance.
"We have asked the West Bengal Higher Education Council about the rules based on which the polls are taking place in Presidency University."
According to him, the amended Presidency University Bill will be placed before the assembly. If it is passed, then the statute will be framed. "We shall then demand fresh elections even if it's in the middle of the year. In the erstwhile Presidency College, in 2010, we had participated in the elections and won four posts of class representatives (CRs). Before deciding to hold the union polls in Presidency University, the authorities should have held a meeting with all students' bodies. If a students union has no constitutional validity then it holds no political importance.
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