Presidency polls: Cops on toes

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Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google News Having the college shut down right after the union elections might be a dampener for students of any college. But for students of the 172-year-old Presidency College, it has now become a matter of course. To clamp down on the customary violence that erupts between competing factions, Triplicane police and the college authorities have followed the practice of giving the students two days off, to get their festivities out of the way, off campus. But, serious repercussions are believed to be on the cards when the college reopens on Wednesday, as a hostelite — A Gnanakarthik, was elected council president. Considering that the fate of the polls has always been decided by which bus route the candidates travel on and how many students on a particular route supported their candidate, Karthik’s victory is seen as something of a freak result. “Unfortunately, some people are seeing it as a conspiracy. I was supported by our previous president and received able support from the Students Congress group,” said an elated Karthik, after he won on Friday. The ‘conspiracy’ theory is something that has top cops worried. “Students have told us that this boy brokered a deal with some of the lesser travelled bus routes like 12G and 25E and 2A, formed a coalition and defeated the candidate who had the support of the ‘stronger’ routes like 6B, 27H and 29A. This has caused a lot of resentment and clashes are bound to happen,” said a senior police official. While the cops had posted men inside the hostels through the weekend, they are appreciative of the way the management has handled this year’s election. “They have managed to stave off any violence on campus,” he added. However, as a fallout of the result, fights broke out along the beach, even as the victors climbed on the roof of a bus to celebrate in customary style. During a cursory sweep of the campus on the eve of the reopening — when the new council will enter office — police said that they have cleared out anything that can be used as a weapon, including wooden cudgels, rods and knives. “We are hopeful that everything will work out peacefully,” said Triplicane Assistant Commissioner of Police S Senthil Kumaran. first published:September 05, 2012, 09:10 ISTlast updated:September 05, 2012, 09:10 IST
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Having the college shut down right after the union elections might be a dampener for students of any college.

But for students of the 172-year-old Presidency College, it has now become a matter of course.

To clamp down on the customary violence that erupts between competing factions, Triplicane police and the college authorities have followed the practice of giving the students two days off, to get their festivities out of the way, off campus.

But, serious repercussions are believed to be on the cards when the college reopens on Wednesday, as a hostelite — A Gnanakarthik, was elected council president.

Considering that the fate of the polls has always been decided by which bus route the candidates travel on and how many students on a particular route supported their candidate, Karthik’s victory is seen as something of a freak result.

“Unfortunately, some people are seeing it as a conspiracy.

I was supported by our previous president and received able support from the Students Congress group,” said an elated Karthik, after he won on Friday.

The ‘conspiracy’ theory is something that has top cops worried.

“Students have told us that this boy brokered a deal with some of the lesser travelled bus routes like 12G and 25E and 2A, formed a coalition and defeated the candidate who had the support of the ‘stronger’ routes like 6B, 27H and 29A.

This has caused a lot of resentment and clashes are bound to happen,” said a senior police official.

While the cops had posted men inside the hostels through the weekend, they are appreciative of the way the management has handled this year’s election.

“They have managed to stave off any violence on campus,” he added.

However, as a fallout of the result, fights broke out along the beach, even as the victors climbed on the roof of a bus to celebrate in customary style.

During a cursory sweep of the campus on the eve of the reopening — when the new council will enter office — police said that they have cleared out anything that can be used as a weapon, including wooden cudgels, rods and knives.

“We are hopeful that everything will work out peacefully,” said Triplicane Assistant Commissioner of Police S Senthil Kumaran.