Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday, 12 October accused the BJP-led Odisha government of deploying administrative machinery and muscle power to secure victories for Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) — the RSS-affiliated students' organisation — and BJP Yuva Morcha candidates in student union elections across the state. The allegations were made at a press conference in Bhubaneswar and were accompanied by references to viral audio clips that the party claims implicate senior figures.

What the Viral Audio Clips Allegedly Reveal

Addressing the press conference at Sankha Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) State President and BJD leader Ipsita Sahu cited two viral audio clips linked to Rama Devi Women's University. The first clip allegedly contains references to the Chief Minister's purported instructions to ensure ABVP candidates win 'at any cost', she claimed. The second clip allegedly features Assistant Professor Sanjay Rout discussing large sums of money reportedly spent on student elections.

Sahu further alleged that Rout collected personal information about female students and shared it with the state government. The BCJD demanded Rout's immediate suspension and a high-level investigation into both clips. NationPress could not independently verify the contents of the audio clips.

Alleged Violations of Lyngdoh Commission Guidelines

Sahu alleged that the BJP government was in breach of Lyngdoh Commission guidelines, which govern the conduct of student union elections and prohibit political parties from campaigning on campuses. She claimed that BJP ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly, and Members of Parliament were physically entering college campuses to influence outcomes in favour of ABVP candidates.

'The BJP government was calling vice-chancellors and college principals to influence them to secure votes in favour of its candidates,' she alleged. She also accused lecturers at Khallikote University of openly campaigning for ABVP, and named BJP MLAs Manas Dutta and Sidhanta Mohapatra as having campaigned for ABVP at Fakir Mohan University — a claim the party says violates election guidelines.

Violence, Intimidation, and Election Cancellations

The allegations extended beyond influence-peddling. At Pipili College, Sahu alleged that BJP supporters abducted and intimidated candidates, subjecting them to what she described as 'life-threatening attacks'. At Nayagarh College, she alleged that elections were cancelled after BCJD candidates were poised to win unopposed — a move she attributed to the ruling party's fear of defeat.

She also accused the administration and police of acting at the government's behest, alleging that teachers and government employees were being used to facilitate vote theft and candidate poaching. This comes amid growing scrutiny of student union polls as a barometer of political ground-level strength in Odisha, where the BJP wrested power from the BJD in the 2024 state elections after more than two decades.

BJD Claims Lead Despite Alleged Interference

Notwithstanding the allegations, Sahu struck a confident note, asserting that BCJD candidates have already won in 100 colleges across the state. 'Despite the unlawful measures allegedly adopted by the BJP government, we are confident that our candidates will win by overwhelming margins,' she said. She accused the government of using the university elections to divert public attention from rising crimes against women in the state.

The BJP-led government in Odisha had not issued a formal public response to the allegations at the time of this report. How the viral clips are handled — and whether an independent inquiry is ordered — will likely determine the political fallout in the days ahead.