Vani Vihar Polls: 29 Candidates in Fray as Campaigning Picks Up Pace .

BHUBANESWR,11/10(PPT): Campaigning has gathered momentum at Utkal University, popularly known as Vani Vihar, ahead of the upcoming student union elections, with candidates stepping up their efforts to woo voters. The final list of candidates was published on Saturday after the withdrawal of nominations, setting the stage for contests across nine posts.
According to university authorities, 42 candidates had filed nominations. One nomination was rejected due to inadequate attendance, while 12 candidates withdrew from the contest, leaving 29 candidates in the fray.
Seven of the nine posts will witness three-cornered contests, while four candidates each are contesting for the posts of vice-president and joint general secretary.
Abhiram Mishra, Sourav Behera and Suryanarayan Nayak are contesting for president, while Ayushree Pradhan, Dibyadarshan Dash and Sambit Suman Rath are in the fray for general secretary.
The candidates for vice-president are Asit Pradhan, Naibedya Mohanty, Papu Rout and Pujarani Nayak. Bhubaneswari Tripathy, Jyotishree Sahu, Rakesh Mahapatra and Sonam Panda are contesting for joint general secretary.
For cultural club secretary, the contestants are Archita Nayak, Shruti Mahapatra and Uttam Kumar Majhi. Gyan Ranjan Parida, Manas Ranjan Jamadar and Sanjay Swain are vying for sports secretary, while Nigamananda Poi, Subrat Kumar Jena and Susmita Sahu are contesting for assistant sports secretary.
Milan Kumar Meher, Rajalakshmi Mohanty and Shubhrajit Pradhan are in the fray for the SSG post. The contest for Vani Vikas editor will be among Chandan Parida, Jibanjyoti Biswal and Pragyan Paramita Sahu.
The elections have drawn particular attention as they are being held after an eight-year gap. Candidates have adopted a mix of traditional campaigning and digital outreach to attract student voters. Social media platforms are being used to circulate campaign messages and promotional material, including cards reportedly designed with the help of artificial intelligence tools.
Candidates are also visiting hostels and interacting with students to seek support, while campaign-related gatherings have added to the activity on campus. With the final list in place, the focus has shifted to the candidates’ ability to mobilise student support and convert their campaign outreach into votes.