Kathmandu, February 20:

The election commission of Saraswati Multiple Campus today postponed all activities related to Free Students’ Union (FSU) elections in the campus until further notice. The poll body cited ‘adverse circumstances’ for its decision.

Earlier today, student groups clashed at the Saraswati Multiple Campus and vandalised campus property when a group of students allegedly abducted Govind Gautam, sitting FSU chairman and presidential candidate Shailesh Lama, while they were on their way to file their nomination for the elections slated for February 28. The All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) said the duo’s whereabouts is not known.

A group of students headed by Man Bir Lama, who was earlier associated with the ANNFSU, barred the union from filing the nominations, which led to the clash. However, Thakur Gaire, the general secretary of ANNFSU denied a split in the union and said it was the ‘mandalays’ who wanted to disrupt the polls. “The EC should decide on the date of nominations at the earliest and the FSU election at the SM campus should be conducted as scheduled,” Gaire said.

Two candidates of the ANNFSU filed their nominations in the Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus where the student body has a stronghold. ANNFSU chairman Khimlal Bhattarai had to seek police protection when he went to file central committee candidate Nawaraj Poudel’s nomination as Nawaraj Gurung, who had already filed his nomination, did not allow anyone else to file the nominations.

The ANNFSU central office said disciplinary action would be taken against Gurung, who filed his nomination by using the official letter pad, without the union’s permission.

While infighting in the ANNFSU is evident, NSU, too, is not far behind as it saw two nominations filed for a post in the Pashupati Multiple Campus.

Kundan Raj Kafle (NSU-inabsentia), Santosh Pandey (NSU) and Manoj Vaidhya (NSU (D) and ANNFSU) filed their nominations in the Pashupati Campus. “NSU is hopeful that Kafle would withdraw his nomination and we are working hard to solve the problem at the earliest,” said Badri Pandey, general secretary of NSU.

Nominations were also filed in other major valley campuses today. Most campuses saw two or more unions jointly fighting the polls, like the Nepal Students Union, affiliated to the Nepali Congress(D) and ANNFSU, who are jointly in the fray. To name a few, Shankher Dev Campus, TC campus, Pashupati Multiple Campus and Patan Multiple Campus, will see joint contestants.

In Ratna Rajya Multiple Campus, students of two factions of the ANNFSU, Nawaraj Gurung and Nawaraj Poudel (ANNFSU central committee nominee) filed their nominations, while the other nominations that were file were of Arjun Karki - ANNFSU (CPN-ML), Sabin Tamang (NSU), Diwas Kumar Waiba (NSU NC (D) and Bimal Pokhrel ANNFSU (Unified).

ANNFSU accused the NSU of abducting their candidate Rajan Acharya of Public Youth Campus till 4 pm today and forcing him to sign a letter that stated he is withdrawing his nomination. NSU, however, denied the allegations.

In Padma Kanya Campus, all three-student bodies filed their nominations.

Anjan Chaulagain (NSU) and Jay Krishna Maharjan (joint panel of NSU (D) and ANNFSU) filed their nominations in Shankher Dev Campus, while Prachanda Bikram Neupane ‘Guntu’ (NSU) and Deepak Shah (joint group of NSU (D) and ANNFSU) filed their nominations in Tri Chandra Multiple campus. Laos Rai is heading a joint panel of NSU, NSU (D) and ANNFSU (Unified), against the ANNFSU headed by Purusottam Acharya in Patan Multiple Campus. Nominations in the rest of the campuses will filed tomorrow.