BHUBANESWAR: Student union elections at two colleges in Odisha’s Bhadrak district have been cancelled over security concerns and an alleged breakdown of discipline, officials said on Friday.
The elections at Bhadrak Women’s College and Naami Degree College in Bhandaripokhari were called off ahead of the statewide student union polls scheduled for October 15. Naami College withdrew its election notification, citing unavoidable sensitive issues, while Bhadrak Women’s College cancelled the polls for the 2026–27 academic session following a unanimous decision of its Students’ Union Advisory Committee.
The decision triggered protests by students at Bhadrak Women’s College, prompting the deployment of police personnel on the campus to prevent any untoward incident, sources said.
As per the original schedule, candidates were to file nominations between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on October 9, with the list of valid nominations due to be published at 5 p.m. The cancellations come days before student union elections are scheduled across colleges and higher educational institutions in Odisha.
