In the run-up to Tuesday’s Free Student Union elections, political parties and student unions had ruled out alliances but their claims turned out to be hollow. In the FSU polls, the unions collaborated in several places to bolster their chances of winning.

The central authority granted autonomy to campus units of the union to decide on the alliances based on the ground reality, said Prakash Paudel, spokesperson for the CPN-UML-aligned All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU). “Some campuses collaborated in the elections based on their needs, but the central authority had no role in it.”

In the elections, collaboration was seen among various student organisations, including the Nepal Student Union (NSU) affiliated to the Nepali Congress, the ANNFSU and the CPN (Maoist Centre)-supported All Nepal National Independent Student Union (Revolutionary) and those linked to other fringe parties.

Meanwhile, as of Wednesday evening, reports indicate that the NSU has secured most victories in the FSU vote. Polling took place on Tuesday across 38 constituent campuses and around 300 affiliated ones.

According to the Central Monitoring and Coordination Committee of the FSU elections, 65 percent of students participated in the voting. However, the election process was disrupted at 22 constituent colleges and some of those affiliated.

As per the latest update, the NSU is leading the tally with wins in more than 110 campuses as of Wednesday evening as more results come in. “The NSU has won in more than 109 campuses and counting,” said Suraj Sejual, spokesperson for the union.

NSU is followed by ANNFSU, which has won 91 affiliated and 11 constituent campuses. The ANNISU-Revolutionary is trailing in third position.

“We have won seven constituent and 74 affiliated campuses so far,” said Bijay Prakash Sapkota, the chair of ANNISU-Revolutionary. “Our performance is seen as stronger in Koshi and Karnali Province compared to other provinces.”

Out of the 36 campuses in Sudurpaschim, while the NSU secured the highest number of victories winning in 17 campuses, ANNFSU and ANNISU-Revolutionary secured 9 campuses each while an independent candidate won the FSU president position in a college.

Out of the 22 constituent campuses of Tribhuvan University where the election failed to take place on Tuesday, eight are in Kathmandu Valley. Ratna Rajyalaxmi (RR), Amrit Science, Bishwa Bhasa, Nepal Law, Shankar Dev, Tri-Chandra and Public Youth are the campuses where polling has yet to take place.

Additionally, the election at Padma Kanya Campus, Bagbazar, has been postponed till Thursday.

ANNFSU spokesperson Poudel said if the elections are not held within 15 days on the campuses where the process has been suspended, the vote might never be held.

“As per the election regulation enforced by the TU, we should conduct the vote within the 15 days of Tuesday,” Paudel said.

Outside the Valley, elections are yet to be held in Birendra Campus, Chitwan; Prithvi Narayan Campus, Pokhara; Butwal Multiple Campus; Ramsworup Ramsagar Multiple Campus, Janakpur; and Tehrathum Campus, among others.

While unions affiliated to major political parties emerged victorious in most colleges, independent candidates won major positions at Pulchowk Engineering Campus and Chitwan Engineering Campus, the two technical campuses.

Independent candidate Swayam Shrestha won with 1,102 votes in Pulchowk Engineering Campus FSU presidency. His closest competitor, Rasik Lamsal of the Maoist Centre-affiliated ANNISU (R), garnered 710 votes. Biraj Aryal, who won the leadership position in the 2022 election for the UML’s ANNFSU, finished third with 639 votes.

Shrestha was a student union member in 2022. Even then, he contested as an independent and got 754 votes.

Prajwal Adhikari, an independent candidate backed by the NSU and the ANNISU-R, was elected the FSU president in Chitwan Engineering Campus. He beat Bishal Pokhrel of ANNFSU. All 132 registered voters cast their ballot. According to Election Officer Bhupendra Jung Keshari Chand, Adhikari garnered 78 votes against Pokhrel’s 54.

Meanwhile, a disgruntled faction of the NSU ended the padlock at Tribhuvan University Campus, Kirtipur, on Wednesday following an agreement with the principal’s office and the FSU election committee.

Following an internal dispute, an NSU faction close to Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa had padlocked the office last week. The faction close to Thapa had fielded a candidate for the FSU president. However, while the faction close to party President Sher Bahadur Deuba also filed the candidacy, the first candidacy was cancelled as illegitimate.

While the election panel confirmed the candidacy of Dipak Joshi from the Deuba camp and disqualified Anju Karki from the Thapa camp, the rival group padlocked the university office.

The Patan High Court has ordered the TU Campus election panel to uphold Karki’s candidacy until Thursday, when it will hear the case.