Patna University Student Union (PUSU) election will be held on February 28, as earlier scheduled, with the university administration agreeing to students’ demand for the same after the candidates submitted separate signed pledges to fully adhere to the model code of conduct and regulations supplied with nomination papers at the meeting of prospective candidates with the central election committee on Sunday.

The candidates, in their written oath, also condemned the unsavoury incidents that took place on the university campus in recent days and pledged to neither participate nor encourage any kind of unruly behaviour or violence in course of campaigning. They also swore that they had not started campaigning so far and had not incurred any expense. The entire meeting was videographed.

Following this, the Dean (Student Welfare) issued a formal letter of withdrawal of February 23 notification postponing election and a fresh notification by the order of the vice chancellor regarding conduct of election as per schedule on February 28 with clear mention that the campaigning would end at 5 pm on February 26, which would leave the candidates with just there days for canvassing in keeping with the strict guidelines.

Later, the chief election officer also released the list of candidates to set the stage for campaigning, with a clear rider regarding rules for election and campaigning to ensure that the election remains a campus and students-centric affair in a healthy atmosphere. The list was earlier scheduled to be released on February 21, but that day the notification postponing the election was issued in the evening in the light of objectionable developments.

“PU has been the cradle of politics, and it is good that both the students and the authorities reached a common ground to make sure that the sacredness of the cradle is maintained to instil healthy democratic values. PU has set a healthy trend with this. Merely conducting election is not the objective, it is the spirit of election that matters and it needs to be instilled on the campus,” said a senior official associated with election.

There are 11 candidates in fray for the post of president, eight for vice president, nine for general secretary, seven for treasurer and six for joint secretary, besides candidates for 14 council seats in four faculties and 26 in 10 colleges. There are one candidates each in Faculty of Commerce, Patna Training College and Patna Women’s Training a college, and they will be elected unopposed.

In a late evening development on Sunday, the students who misbehaved with a teacher at Patna Science College had tendered a written apology to him as well as the entire teaching community and vowed not to repeat it in future. They also requested that no administrative action be taken against them after the PU administration took a tough stand against unsavoury conduct.