Aditya's Yuva Sena sweeps MU senate polls, gets 10/10

MUMBAI: It was a clean sweep for Aditya Thackeray-led Yuva Sena at Mumbai University's senate elections on Thursday. Sena won 10 of the 10 seats in the graduates constituency. Raj Thackeray's MNVS, which had two seats in the last senate body, seemed to have conceded defeat even before the polls. Though two of its candidates ran as Independents. ABVP was at a distant second.
Pradeep Sawant from the Yuva Sena said all Shiv Sena 'shakha pramukhs' were asked to mobilise voters in their neighborhood. "The planning worked in our favour. In the reserved category seats, our candidates have won with huge margins," said Sawant.

Of the 62,000 registered voters, only 40% turned out on Sunday to cast votes. The counting began on Wednesday and went on till early Thursday.

Members from the graduates constituency are expected to raise students issues in the senate. This is the first time that all seats have gone to members from one organisation.

Exams and results' delays are likely to be raised as the prime agenda for members of the elected members and Bombay University and College Teachers' Union (BUCTU) in the two-day senate budget meeting starting tomorrow.

"Some of the newly elected members are experienced in senate, have knowledge about university's functioning and have a good rapport with students. We can expect more democratic approach, fearless and constructive criticism," said principal and former dean of commerce, Madhu Nair.

Since all the members are from Yuva Sena in the senate, they are likely to get two seats in the university's management council. The senate will also have more nominated members this time. The current senate's term will be for five years.