Bhubaneswar, Oct 11: Political leaders and student organisation representatives appear to be more enthusiastic about the upcoming student union elections than the students themselves, with all eyes now on Utkal University, popularly known as Vani Vihar. The final list of candidates was released on Saturday following the withdrawal of nominations, setting the stage for intense electoral contests across the campus.

According to university authorities, 42 candidates had filed their nominations. One nomination was rejected due to inadequate attendance, leaving 41 valid nominations. Of these, 12 candidates subsequently withdrew, bringing the total number of contestants in the fray to 29.

The university's data indicates that seven of the nine posts will witness three-cornered contests, while the posts of vice-president and joint general secretary will see four candidates each.

For the post of president, Abhiram Mishra, Sourav Behera and Suryanarayan Nayak are in the fray. The general secretary's post will see a contest among Ayushree Pradhan, Dibyadarshan Dash and Sambit Suman Rath.

The vice-president's post has attracted four candidates: Asit Pradhan, Naibedya Mohanty, Papu Rout and Pujarani Nayak. Similarly, Bhubaneswari Tripathy, Jyotishree Sahu, Rakesh Mahapatra and Sonam Panda are contesting for joint general secretary.

For cultural club secretary, the candidates are Archita Nayak, Shruti Mahapatra and Uttam Kumar Majhi. The sports secretary's post will see a contest among Gyan Ranjan Parida, Manas Ranjan Jamadar and Sanjay Swain.

Meanwhile, Nigamananda Poi, Subrat Kumar Jena and Susmita Sahu are contesting for assistant sports secretary. The candidates for the SSG post are Milan Kumar Meher, Rajalakshmi Mohanty and Shubhrajit Pradhan. For the Vani Vikas editor's post, Chandan Parida, Jibanjyoti Biswal and Pragyan Paramita Sahu are in the running.

Campaigning gains momentum after final list

With the final list of candidates announced on Saturday, campaigning has gathered pace across the university campus. The elections are particularly significant as they are being held after an eight-year gap, prompting candidates to adopt a mix of traditional outreach and digital campaigning strategies.

Social media has emerged as a key campaign platform, with candidates intensifying their online outreach to connect with student voters. Candidates are also visiting hostels to seek support, while campaign-related gatherings and feasts are being organised across the campus.

Artificial intelligence is also finding a place in the election campaign, with candidates reportedly using AI tools to create promotional cards and circulate them among students.

As campaigning intensifies, the focus is now on which candidates can translate their outreach efforts into votes in what promises to be a closely watched student union election at Vani Vihar.