Agra: Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Friday announced Nov 5 as the date for elections to its students’ union for the 2026-27 academic session, ending a 19-day student protest and hunger strike demanding the restoration of polls that had not been held since 2018.
He said the election process would begin with the publication of the voters’ list on Oct 26. Vice-chancellor Prof Naima Khatoon announced the decision after accepting the students’ demand and ended the hunger strike of student Yasir Fahad by offering him juice, following which the protesting students called off their agitation. These claims were made by Rayyan and were not part of the election schedule announced by the university.
Describing the announcement as a “historic victory”, Mohammad Rayyan, a BA Economics student, said students had been campaigning for the restoration of union elections for the past eight years. The university also removed Prof Mohammad Naveed Khan as proctor and appointed Nafees Ahmed as the new proctor of the Proctorial Board. Rayyan also claimed that the suspension of the student on hunger strike would be revoked within a week and that FIRs allegedly registered against students would be withdrawn.
Polling will be held at the respective faculties on Nov 5 from 9am to 5pm. Counting will begin at 7pm and continue until the results are declared. The university will announce the counting venue separately. Prof Javaid Talib of the department of law has been appointed chief election officer for the AMU Students’ Union elections. Prof Nazia Hasan of the department of English at Women’s College will serve as chief election officer for the Women’s College Undergraduate Students’ Union elections.