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| Rahul’s ‘Gen-Z call’ falls flat, ABVP sweeps campus polls | | |  Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 21: Although the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has appealed to Gen-Z to come to the streets against BJP government policies, Sangh Parivar’s student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has registered sweeping victories in the student union elections of three prominent universities — Delhi University (DU), Hyderabad Central University (HCU), and Panjab University (PU).
The wins are being seen as a major morale booster for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a political setback for the Congress party.
While the Congress leadership is trying to downplay ABVP’s victories in these universities, the BJP has started an aggressive campaign on social media to taunt the grand old party.
“ABVP clean sweeps Hyderabad Central University Students Union Elections! Someone please send a box of tissues to Rahul Gandhi, who keeps hallucinating about a “Gen Z revolution” even as NSUI is getting wiped out across Central Universities.
In just the last year, ABVP has stormed Patna University, Punjab University, JNU, Delhi University, Guwahati University, Manipur University, several universities in Uttarakhand — and now Hyderabad Central University.
Sorry Rahul, flaunting a six-pack and hopping around on stage doesn’t impress Gen Z. Vision, clarity, and leadership do”, BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya posted on his social media handle.
The ABVP, the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), secured key posts in all three institutions, defeating alliances led by left-leaning student groups and organizations backed by the Indian National Congress, particularly the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).
In Delhi University, considered a bellwether for n The wins are being seen as a major morale booster for BJP and a political setback for the Congress.
While the Congress leadership is trying to downplay ABVP’s victories in these universities, the BJP has started an aggressive campaign on social media to taunt the grand old party.
The ABVP’s back-to-back wins appear to counter Congress's narrative, highlighting continuing student support for BJP-aligned ideologies.
Results reflect a gap between elite activism and electoral realities on the ground.
At Hyderabad Central University, which has witnessed intense political activity and protests in recent years, the ABVP emerged as the largest group, reclaiming ground after a period of dominance by leftist and Ambedkarite student groups. Panjab University too saw a resounding victory for the ABVP, with candidates winning on issues of campus development and national security.
These victories carry added significance in the backdrop of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent push to mobilize what he termed “Gen-Z” — the young generation — to “hit the streets” and take on the BJP at every level, including on university campuses. Gandhi had positioned student activism as a key element of his broader political strategy to challenge the Modi government ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
However, the ABVP’s back-to-back wins appear to counter that narrative, highlighting continuing student support for BJP-aligned ideologies and signaling challenges for the Congress’s youth outreach programs. Political analysts suggest that the results reflect a gap between elite activism and electoral realities on the ground.
“The message from campuses is clear — students are voting on issues that matter to them, and nationalistic narratives promoted by ABVP continue to resonate,” said a senior political observer.
BJP leaders welcomed the outcome, calling it an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership among the youth. “This is not just a student election; it’s a reflection of the changing mindset of young India,” said BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla. |
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