Thiruvananthapuram: The Students Federation of India (SFI), the student organization linked to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), is facing severe backlash in Kerala after allegations of malpractice emerged regarding university union elections.
The incident centres around Vishak, the Kattakada area committee leader of SFI, who has been accused of involvement in a suspicious substitution of an elected candidate for the post of University Union Chancellor (UUC).
Following the college councillor elections held on December 12, 2022, where two SFI members, Aromal and Anakha, emerged victorious from Kattakada Christian College, the controversy unfolded. However, when the college forwarded the elected councillors' names to Kerala University, Anakha's name was mysteriously replaced by Vishak's.
Reports suggest that local SFI leaders, in collusion with the CPI(M), attempted to exert influence to push Vishak into the University Union. The college principal, GJ Shaiju, claimed that Anakha expressed her willingness to resign, and Vishak's name was suggested as a replacement. However, this violated the rules, as a vacant councillor position must be filled through a re-election process.
Taking prompt action, the CPI(M) leadership swiftly suspended Vishak and appointed C Jayan Babu, a district secretariat member, to investigate the matter. In a related development, GJ Shaiju, the college principal and district secretary of the Congress-affiliated Kerala Private College Teachers Association (KPCTA), was removed from his role following the incident.
The incident has caused uproar among students and opposition parties. Consequently, the University Union elections, initially scheduled for May 26, have been postponed due to the impersonation row. The Kerala Students Union (KSU) and Youth Congress have launched protests against the malpractices observed during college elections.
In the wake of these allegations, the university syndicate is set to convene on Saturday, May 20, to determine whether GJ Shaiju should continue as the principal of Kattakada Christian College.