Left weakening in JNU, outfits struggling to win independently: VC Pandit

With the appearance of rival political outfits, the Left in the Jawaharlal Nehru University has weakened and is forced to join hands since it struggles to win elections independently, varsity Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit said. Pandit, a former JNU student, said she used to contest against the Left as part of the Free Thinkers group a "neutral" students' body not affiliated to any political party. In an interview with PTI editors at the agency's headquarters, Pandit said nearly 1,500 NOTA votes were cast in the recently held JNU Students Union elections, an act that shows students are interested in neither the Left nor the Right. Pandit, who did her MPhil and then PhD in International Politics from JNU, said with time more political outfits like the RSS-affiliated ABVP and Congress-backed NSUI, as well as RJD, have made their presence on campus, which once used to be solely dominated by the Left outfits. The United Left panel comprising All India Students Association (AISA),