KSU-MSF combine retains Calicut University students’ union

The United Democratic Students’ Front (UDSF), a coalition of the Kerala Students’ Union (KSU) and the Muslim Students’ Federation (MSF), retained its control of the university students’ union of the University of Calicut, when the elections were held on Saturday. Of the total number of 539 votes, 518 were polled.

P.K. Shifana of the UDSF was elected as chairperson as she won 299 votes against her Students’ Federation of India (SFI) rival V.S. Anuja, who got 206 votes. A.C. Muhammed Irfan of the UDSF was elected as vice chairman as he bagged 294 votes against his SFI rival K. Abu Fazil who got 210 votes. Nafiya Birra of the UDSF was chosen as the lady vice chairperson. She got 299 votes and the rival SFI candidate M.M. Siyana got 207 votes. V. Sufiyan of the UDSF won the secretary’s post by bagging 295 votes against SFI candidate K. Mohammed Sanad who got 209 votes. Anusha Roby of the UDSF was elected as joint secretary as she got 300 votes against SFI candidate T.G. Saranya who got 203 votes. Four of these five candidates in the general seats belonged to the MSF.

The UDSF also bagged the executive committee members’ seats for Malappuram and Kozhikode districts, and the SFI candidates got those for Thrissur, Wayanad, and Palakkad. Salmanul Fariz bin Abdulla (Malappuram) got 141 votes against his SFI rival K.M. Shafeeque Rahman who got 22 votes. Safwan Shameem (Kozhikode) polled 81 votes against his SFI rival M.T. Aswani who got 51 votes.

Meanwhile, the SFI’s Salahudheen Rusheid (Palakkad) polled 50 votes to beat M. Dharsan of the UDSF who got 36 votes. P.S. Chandana (Wayanad) of the SFI got 12 votes, and her rival K.V. Muhammed Sinan got 11 votes. Farhan Abdul Muthalif (Thrissur) of the SFI bagged 62 votes against Abin Augustine of the UDSF, who got 32 votes.

The election was held under tight police security following a High Court order. There was tension on the campus for a while as SFI activists alleged that they were manhandled by MSF activists.