Voting for the Student Union elections for the 2026-27 academic year at Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal Central University (HNBGU) began peacefully today, September 11, 2026. A total of 8,776 students are casting their votes at 14 polling booths. Amid a heavy presence of the university administration and local police, students have been queuing since 8:00 a.m. to exercise their franchise. According to the Chief Election Officer, vote counting will begin in the afternoon, and the election results are expected to be announced after 5:00 p.m.
This year’s student union elections have reached a triangular and highly interesting stage, with a close contest between various student organizations.
The main contest for the post of President is believed to be between Bhuvan Chamoli of the ABVP and Himanshu Bhandari, a PhD student from the Jai Ho student organization. Pulkit Agarwal of the Chhatram organization and Preeti Verma of the All India Students Association (AISA) are pitted against each other for the post of Vice President.
In the student union elections at the main Birla campus of Garhwal Central University (HNBGU), a direct and close contest for the post of Secretary (General Secretary) is underway between Mayank Bahuguna of the NSUI and Pankaj Farswan of the Aryan student organization.
The main contenders for the post of University Representative are Anshuman Srivastava of the ABVP and Yuvraj Singh of the AISA.
Regarding the main election issues, this year’s student organizations have campaigned on key issues such as campus infrastructure, a 24-hour library, hostels, safety of female students, opposition to fee hikes, and campus weightage.
Strict security arrangements and regulations
Meanwhile, the Pauri and Srinagar police administrations are on high alert to prevent potential clashes and riots. Only students with valid digital ID cards are being allowed entry at the campus’ main gates. The campus director and Chief Electoral Officer have issued clear instructions that no student will be allowed to stay or roam within the campus once they have cast their vote.
Chief Electoral Officer Professor MC Sati has also issued guidelines to ensure a peaceful election. He stated that no student should use printed material of any organization that would reveal its identity. He urged all student organizations and students to strictly adhere to the previously issued instructions.