Odisha CM Majhi hails peaceful campus polls, calls on student leaders to counter 'baseless propaganda'
Synopsis
Odisha's campus elections were suspended for nearly a decade under the previous BJD government — and their revival, followed by an ABVP sweep, has given Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi both a democratic credential and a political talking point. At the Young Leaders Conclave, Majhi linked the student verdict directly to support for Modi's development agenda, turning a college election into a national narrative.
Key Takeaways
CM Mohan Charan Majhi addressed the Young Leaders Conclave at Kataka Indoor Stadium, Bhubaneswar on 18 October .
Students' union elections were held across Odisha on 15 October — the first since 2017 after a near-decade suspension under the previous BJD government.
The ABVP secured a landslide victory in the campus polls, which Majhi compared to its performance at Delhi University .
Majhi said pressure was exerted on his government to postpone the polls, citing claims that conditions were 'not favourable' — pressure he rejected.
Student leaders were urged to keep campuses free of violence and substance abuse , and to act as a bridge for government welfare schemes.
Majhi posted his remarks on X following the event, targeting the previous regime's suspension of democratic campus processes.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday, 18 October 2026, urged student leaders who won the recent campus elections to take an active role in building a prosperous Odisha by countering what he described as the baseless propaganda of disruptive forces with positive messaging. The Chief Minister made the appeal at the Young Leaders Conclave held at Kataka Indoor Stadium in Bhubaneswar, where he met and congratulated winners of the students' union elections conducted across colleges and universities on 15 October.
A Decade-Long Democratic Gap Ended
Majhi took aim at the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD)-led government, stating in a post on X following the event that campus elections had been suspended for nearly a decade since 2017, effectively halting the democratic process on campuses. He noted pointedly that senior leaders of the then-ruling party — including the then Higher Education Minister — who had themselves risen through student politics, remained silent on their leader's decision to suspend the polls.
The Chief Minister said that when his government decided to restore the elections, pressure was applied to postpone them, with claims that 'the atmosphere in the country is not favourable' and that 'Gen Z is unhappy.' His government, he said, fulfilled its promise regardless, conducting the polls in a peaceful and orderly manner across the state.
ABVP Victory and the Political Subtext
Majhi explicitly framed the outcome in national political terms. 'The historic victory of the ABVP in Odisha, just as in Delhi University, has proved that the youth stand with Modi ji's development policies,' he said, drawing a direct line between campus results and support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance agenda. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is the student wing affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
This framing comes amid a broader national pattern where campus election outcomes are increasingly read as barometers of youth sentiment ahead of state and general elections.
What the CM Told Student Leaders
Majhi cautioned the newly elected student representatives against complacency, saying the victory was not a reason for arrogance but the start of a significant responsibility. He advised them to engage with college authorities to keep campuses free from violence and substance abuse, and to act as a bridge ensuring that the benefits of government welfare schemes reached every student — particularly in areas such as education, hostels, and sports.
'Being a leader does not mean limiting oneself to politics; it also means working to resolve the problems faced by ordinary students,' the Chief Minister noted.
The Broader Message on Democratic Values
Closing his address, Majhi invoked the ideals of 'Knowledge, Character and Unity', calling on all young representatives to uphold constitutional values and resist forces attempting to weaken the country's democratic framework. He characterised campus violence as a dark chapter firmly in the past, with peaceful elections now proof of a course correction.
The conclave signals the Majhi government's intent to integrate student leadership into its state-building narrative, with the next question being whether the newly elected bodies translate political momentum into measurable improvements in campus welfare.
Point of View
However, is the democratic one: suspending university elections for nearly a decade was a significant curtailment of student political life, and its restoration — regardless of who won — deserves acknowledgement on its own terms. The ABVP victory may be genuine, but conflating it with a mandate for the Centre risks overshadowing the real institutional question: whether the newly elected student bodies will be given meaningful autonomy, or whether they will serve primarily as an extended political base.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Young Leaders Conclave held in Bhubaneswar?
The Young Leaders Conclave was a gathering organised at Kataka Indoor Stadium in Bhubaneswar on 18 October, where Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi met and congratulated student leaders who won the Odisha campus elections held on 15 October. It served as both a felicitation ceremony and a platform for the CM to outline expectations from the new student representatives.
Why were Odisha's campus elections suspended for nearly a decade?
According to Chief Minister Majhi, the previous BJD-led state government kept campus elections suspended from 2017 onwards, halting the democratic process in colleges and universities for nearly a decade. Majhi said senior leaders of that regime, including the then Higher Education Minister who had roots in student politics, did not raise objections to this decision.
Which student organisation won the Odisha campus elections?
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing affiliated with the BJP, secured what Majhi described as a landslide victory in the 15 October elections. The CM compared the result to ABVP's performance at Delhi University, framing it as a sign of youth support for PM Modi's policies.
What did CM Majhi advise the newly elected student leaders?
Majhi urged the student leaders to work on resolving practical problems in education, hostels, and sports rather than limiting themselves to politics. He also asked them to keep campuses free from violence and substance abuse, coordinate with college authorities, and help ensure government welfare schemes reach every student.
What did CM Majhi say about pressure to postpone the campus elections?
Majhi said his government faced pressure to delay the polls, with arguments that 'the atmosphere in the country is not favourable' and that 'Gen Z is unhappy.' He rejected these claims, stated his government fulfilled its promise, and said the peaceful conduct of the elections proved that campus violence was a thing of the past.
