Yuva Sena sweeps Mumbai University Senate elections!

The winning candidates celebrating outside the counting centre. Pic/Ashish Raje

In a stunning display of strength, Aaditya Thackeray's Yuva Sena clinched 8 out of 10 seats in the Mumbai University Senate elections. Pradeep Balkrishna Sawant, Yuva Sena's open category candidate, achieved his third consecutive win in the Mumbai University Registered Graduates Constituency, receiving over 1,338 first-preference votes. Milind Satam followed closely, winning with 1,246 votes in the same constituency, while Alpesh Bhoir from Vashi triumphed with 1,137 votes. Yuva Sena's Shashikant Zore also achieved a hat-trick victory, leading to a sweeping success in the reserved constituencies. All five Yuva Sena candidates in these categories were declared winners, reinforcing the party's dominance in Mumbai University's electoral landscape.

The elections for the Mumbai University Registered Graduates Constituency were held on September 24, following a two-year delay after the previous senate's term ended in August 2022.

The winning candidates in the reserved categories were':

>> Shashikant Zore (DTNT) - 5,170 votes, defeating Ajinkya Jadhav (1,066 votes).

>> Sheetal Sheth-Devrukhkar (SC) - 5,498 votes, defeating Rajendra Saygaonkar (1,014 votes).

>> Dhanraj Kohchade (ST) - 5,247 votes, defeating Nisha Savara (924 votes).

>> Mayur Panchal (OBC) - 5,350 votes, defeating Rajesh Bhujbal (888 votes).

>> Sneha Gawli (Women) - 5,014 votes, defeating Renuka Thakur (883 votes).

These results highlight Yuva Sena's significant strength in both open and reserved categories, further consolidating their influence within the university's decision-making body.

Pradeep Sawant, the winning candidate from Yuva Sena, said: "Our victory is a testament to our credibility and the hard work we've put in for the welfare of Mumbai University students. We have always stood by the students, fighting for their rights and resolving their issues with the university. Graduates didn't just vote for political hype; they voted for candidates who will truly stand with them."

"It was an election between political giants and the student union. We fought our best; there may be some strategic faults in our approach, which we will surely introspect. Despite all the malpractices by the winners during the elections, their names are now on the winning sheets. ABVP congratulates them and wishes them all the best. We hope they prioritize solving the issues of the student fraternity rather than catering to political interests," said ABVP State Secretary Sankalp Phaldesai.

'The results available by press time