New Delhi: Voting began on Tuesday for the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) elections, with students casting their ballots to elect a new central panel and school councillors.

Polling started at 9 am and will continue until 5.30 pm, with a break between 1 pm and 2.30 pm, the university election committee said. Counting will begin at 9 pm, and results are expected on November 6.

A total of 20 candidates are contesting for four key posts — president, vice-president, general secretary, and joint secretary.

The elections, often seen as a reflection of national ideological battles, are once again witnessing a contest between the Left Unity and the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

The Left Unity, comprising AISA, SFI, and DSF, has fielded Aditi Mishra (president), Kizhakoot Gopika Babu (vice-president), Sunil Yadav (general secretary), and Danish Ali (joint secretary).

The ABVP has nominated Vikas Patel, Tanya Kumari, Rajeshwar Kant Dubey, and Anuj for the same posts, campaigning on the theme of “performance and nationalism.” The Left bloc has focused on inclusion, accessibility, and student welfare.

Around 9,043 students are eligible to vote this year. Women account for 30 per cent of central panel nominations and 25 per cent of school councillor candidates.

Last year, AISA's Nitish Kumar won the president's post, while ABVP's Vaibhav Meena secured the joint secretary position, marking a breakthrough for the right-wing group after a decade.

By morning, long queues were seen outside booths as students turned up in large numbers to cast their votes.