NU polls today: All groups confident of big win in 3-way fight

Nagpur: All groups and alliances formed ahead of the Sunday's election to 10 registered graduates seats of Nagpur University are confident of a good show in the three-cornered fight. Secular Panel-Young Teachers Association (YTA), Shikshan Manch-ABVP and the first timers Senate Parivartan Panel members said they were expecting to win most of the 10 seats which will see 17,000 voters casting their votes for 37 contestants.
Nagpur University Teachers Association-Shikshak Bharati coalition may not pose a threat to the rest, NU officials said.

Secular Panel's DK Agrawal said 60% seats would be cornered by their jumbo alliance. "Earlier, we used to win one or two seats by fighting separately while Shikshan Manch would get majority of seats. This time we are sure of landing 6 seats at least," said Agrawal.

ABVP office-bearers refused to be named or make any statement. But, they said, they were confident of winning all the nine seats. One of their candidates has withdrawn.

Senate Parivartan Panel, a group formed by students, is the only one contesting all 10 seats on its debut. Pratik Bankar, working president of Babasaheb Ambedkar Students Association (BASA), said the panel will comfortably get bag seven to eight seats.

"Our impact can be gauged from the fact that bitter rivals like Secular Panel and YTA have joined hands. Before our panel was formed, they used to fight against each other. The credit for their alliance goes to Parivartan Panel and BASA that has formed the group to contest the polls," Bankar said.

NUTA's Anil Dhage said things have improved a lot for his group and they were confident of good success. "Things are better now from what we started with. Our candidates had working with different association whose members will be voting for us. Our ally Shikshak Bharati too had campaigned for us. We are getting good response," Dhage said.

On winning seats, he said, "It is difficult to say. Our representatives are present in all four districts and they will urge votes to cast their first preference in NUTA's favour."

YTA supremo Baban Taywade said they were expecting 8 seats. "You can't win 100% seats since it is preferential voting," he said.

The jumbo alliance of SP-YTA also has the backing of political parties.

Nationalist Students Council has also backed Sangram Parishad. NCP Youth wings city president Shaliendra Tiwari said they have decided to back the parishad to stop communal forces. "With consultation of our top leaders Anil Deshmukh and Anil Ahirkar, we took the decision," Tiwari said.