ABVP has secured the president’s in the Punjab University Campus Students Council election, with Ankit Bhidan defeating Adil Brar by 512 votes. Bhidan received 3,149 votes, while Brar polled 2,637.
The election was the first student union contest at Punjab University after the Jantar Mantar protest. It attracted attention across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, where a significant number of Gen Z students formed part of the electorate.
4 key s decided
Results for the 2026-27 council were declared on Monday for the 4 main positions: president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary. The elected representatives will hold responsibility for the student council during the academic session.
The winners were:
- Ankit Bhidan — president
- Armaan Singh Bhinder — vice-president
- Dhyan Singh — secretary
- Vishal Bamal — joint secretary
Bhidan’s presidential contest was closely fought. Gurman Singh Sidhu received 2,263 votes, while Darshpreet Singh polled 1,387.
Armaan Singh Bhinder won the vice-president’s position with 3,322 votes. Akanksha Thakur received 2,818 votes, followed by Vipul Bhadu with 1,284, Manmeet Kaur with 1,053 and Armaan Singh with 652.
Dhyan Singh, also identified as Sameer, won the secretary’s with 4,045 votes. Aryan Saharan secured 3,678 votes and Muskan Chauhan received 1,286. Dhyan Singh’s winning margin was 367 votes.
Vishal Bamal was elected joint secretary after receiving 3,506 votes. Dev Raj Singh Nain polled 2,338, Ram Chander Singh received 1,650 and Ameen Kaur secured 1,141.
Alliance and campaign issues
The election also featured an alliance between student organisations linked to the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal shortly before voting for the president’s . The alliance became part of the campus contest as rival student groups sought to challenge ABVP during the campaign.
The Jantar Mantar protest remained a prominent campaign issue. Opposition student organisations repeatedly referred to the demonstration while trying to put ABVP under pressure. Despite that campaign focus, Bhidan won the presidential race.
Why the contest matters beyond campus
Students from all 23 districts of Punjab study at Punjab University, giving the campus election wider political significance in the state. Political parties have used the student union contest to test their policies and youth-focused populist schemes among an educated and politically aware section of young people.
The campaign also highlighted local campus concerns. Basic hostel facilities, fee increases, research scholars’ issues and safety were described as more influential in the contest than national issues. Independent candidates and rebel groups further complicated the calculations of larger political organisations.
The result is being described as relevant to the 2027 Assembly election because student leaders emerging from the university could later become part of ground-level political campaigns. However, the supplied results establish the campus outcome and the issues raised during the contest; they do not establish a broader electoral forecast.
Conclusion
ABVP’s presidential victory, alongside the election of the other 3 office-bearers, completes the leadership team for the 2026-27 Punjab University student council. The result gives the organisation a significant campus win after a campaign shaped by the Jantar Mantar protest and practical student concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who won the Punjab University student council president’s election?
Ankit Bhidan of ABVP won the president’s .
Q. What was Ankit Bhidan’s winning margin?
Bhidan defeated Adil Brar by 512 votes.
Q. Who became vice-president of the council?
Armaan Singh Bhinder was elected vice-president.
Q. Who won the secretary and joint secretary s?
Dhyan Singh became secretary, while Vishal Bamal was elected joint secretary.
Q. Which academic session will the elected representatives serve?
The new office-bearers will serve during the 2026-27 academic session.
Q. Why was the election considered politically important?
The contest drew attention because students from all 23 districts of Punjab study at the university and because the result was being viewed in the context of the 2027 Assembly election.
Q. Which issues featured prominently in the campaign?
Hostel facilities, fee increases, research scholars’ concerns and campus safety were among the local issues highlighted during the contest.
