The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Sevalal Vidyarthi Dal (SLVD) alliance won all six major positions in Hyderabad Central University (HCU) Students’ Union Elections 2025. After the 45 round of counting, the ABVP-SLVD alliance defeated the alliance of left-wing student organizations (SFI-BSF-HCU-DSU-TS).

ABVP-SLVD candidate Shiv Palaepu won the post of president. He defeated the Student Federation of India (SFI), Bahujan Students Front (BSF), Dalit Student Union (DSU) and Tribal Student Forum (TSF) alliance candidate Ananya Das in a tough competition. Alliance candidate Devendra was elected as Vice President, Shruti Priya as General Secretary, Saurabh Shukla as Joint Secretary, Venus as Cultural Secretary and Jwala as Sports Secretary.

A total of 169 candidates tried their luck in the election
A total of 169 candidates tried their luck for various posts in the election. Out of these, eight candidates were in the fray for the posts of president, five vice presidents, six general secretaries, five joint secretaries and four cultural and sports secretaries. According to media reports, polling was held at 29 polling stations on September 19, in which more than 81 percent of the voters exercised their franchise.

Announcement of fresh elections
Earlier this month, the university administration had announced a fresh election for 2025-26 by the university administration. The administration took this step, citing the guidelines of the compulsory Lyngdoh Committee by the Supreme Court. The decision was strongly criticized by the National Students Union of India (NSUI) and called it “arbitrary and undemocratic”. NSUI alleged that it was decided to hold elections after the completion of the ongoing student union activities with the consent of all parties, but the administration suddenly dissolved the student union and formed the Election Commission.
ABVP returns to HCU Students’ Union after seven years
This is ABVP’s return to the HCU Students’ Union after seven years. Last time in the 2018-19 session, ABVP-OBCF-Sewallal Vidyarthi Dal alliance won all six posts when Aarti Nagpal was elected president. After the 2018 victory, the Left-Dalit alliances continued to dominate. The SFI-ASA-DSU alliance won all positions in the elections of 2019, 2022-23 and 2024, including Abhishek Nandan in 2019 and the election of the first Dalit Quier President in 2022. During this time, ABVP faced allegations of institutional decline, land disputes and failure on student issues.

The 2025 victory is considered to be the success of anti-incumbency and nationalist agenda. ABVP claimed that students have now accepted ‘nationalist organizations’. This victory of the ABVP-SLVD alliance is being seen as a major change in student politics in the university campus. The coalition has promised to work for their interests in future, describing this victory as a victory for the trust of the students.

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