Gen Z has a message for Rahul: BJP on Hyderabad Central University polls

New Delhi: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) achieved a clean sweep in the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) Student Union elections held on September 20, 2025. 

With an impressive 81% voter turnout, the results are being hailed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a clear signal from the youth, particularly Gen Z, rejecting the dynastic politics associated with the Congress party.

Amit Malviya, the head of BJP's IT cell, took to X (formerly Twitter) to articulate this victory, emphasising its implications for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. 

The ABVP's dominance in what has traditionally been a left-leaning stronghold is the result of growing disillusionment among students with family-based political legacies, BJP has been long claiming.

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing linked to the Congress, received fewer votes than NOTA (None of the Above) despite Telangana being a Congress-ruled state under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

The elections saw intense competition, with 169 candidates vying for key positions across various student organizations, including SFI, ABVP, NSUI, DSU, ASA, SLVD, MSF, AISA, PDSU, BRSV, AIOBCSA, BSF, TSF, and several independents. 

Polling took place on September 19 at 29 booths, and after 45 rounds of counting, the ABVP-SLVD alliance emerged victorious in all six major posts:

• President: Shiva Palepu (ABVP-SLVD), who narrowly defeated SFI-BSF-DSU-TSF candidate Ananya Dash.
• Vice President: Devendra (ABVP-SLVD).
• General Secretary: Shruti Priya (ABVP-SLVD).
• Joint Secretary: Saurabh Shukla (ABVP-SLVD).
• Cultural Secretary: Venus (ABVP-SLVD).
• Sports Secretary: Jwala (ABVP-SLVD).

This marks a notable shift at HCU, which had been dominated by left alliances for the past seven years. 

The university administration had dissolved the previous students' union earlier in the month to comply with the Supreme Court-mandated Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, a move criticized by NSUI as "arbitrary and undemocratic." 

Despite an all-party agreement to delay polls until ongoing union activities concluded, the administration proceeded with fresh elections.

BJP leaders view this outcome as part of a broader trend, with ABVP securing similar victories in institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Delhi University (DU). 

Malviya's post suggests that Gen Z's preference for nationalist ideologies over dynastic ones is gaining momentum, backed by surveys indicating young voters' focus on development-oriented leadership.