Odisha Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, directed senior police officials to take proactive measures — in close coordination with college authorities — to prevent violence during the state's campus elections scheduled for Thursday. The directive came as 6,891 candidates prepare to contest the 2026-27 students' union elections across Odisha, a poll cycle that has already seen multiple colleges cancel their elections due to unrest.

High-Level Security Review

DGP Mishra chaired a high-level review meeting via video conferencing at his camp office in Bhubaneswar, attended by District Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Range Inspectors General (IGs) and Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) from across the state. The meeting focused on security arrangements and the overall law-and-order situation ahead of the college polls.

'The police need to focus on preventing violence by taking precautionary measures in advance rather than taking action after a violent incident occurs in a college,' DGP Mishra said at the meeting.

Key Directives Issued

Mishra instructed officials to maintain regular contact with college authorities and keep a close watch on tension-prone locations and situations. He directed them to intervene promptly wherever necessary — both during and after the campus polls — and to deploy adequate police personnel based on sensitivity assessments. Election-related tensions or disputes, he emphasised, must be taken seriously and acted upon swiftly in accordance with the law.

Minister Appeals for Peace

State Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Wednesday once again appealed to students across Odisha to refrain from any act of violence and cast their votes peacefully. The minister's repeated appeal signals the seriousness with which the state administration is treating the election environment this year.

Electoral Landscape and Political Stakes

A total of 6,891 candidates are in the fray for the 2026-27 students' union elections, according to data released by the Higher Education Department. Major student organisations — including the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) (student wing of the Opposition Biju Janata Dal), the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI), and student wings of Left parties — are all fielding candidates. The elections are seen as a proxy test of party strength among the youth, raising political temperatures on campuses. This comes amid a pattern of campus poll violence in Odisha that has led to elections being cancelled at various colleges across the state in the current cycle.

With Thursday's polls representing a critical test for both student organisations and the state's law-enforcement machinery, all eyes will be on whether the administration's advance measures succeed in keeping campuses peaceful.