Bhubaneswar, Oct 14 (IANS) The Odisha Director General of Police (DGP), Vinaytosh Mishra, on Wednesday directed the senior police officials to take proactive steps in consultation with college authorities to prevent violence during the campus polls scheduled for Thursday.
The Odisha DGP has chaired a high-level review meeting held through video conferencing on security arrangements and the law-and-order situation in connection with college elections at the DGP’s camp office in Bhubaneswar.
The District Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Range Inspectors General (IGs)/Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) attended the meeting.
At the meeting, the DGP emphasised preventing violence on college campuses, maintaining peace and order, ensuring the smooth conduct of the student union elections and preventing post-election violence.
“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,” the DGP said.
Therefore, DGP Mishra instructed police officials to maintain regular contact with college authorities and keep a close watch on places and situations where tensions can arise.
He directed them to intervene promptly, wherever necessary, to prevent violence during and after the campus polls.
The DGP advised police officers to assess sensitive situations during the college elections and deploy adequate police personnel as required to maintain peace and order.
He directed them to take any election-related tension or dispute seriously and initiate prompt action in accordance with the law.
State Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Wednesday again appealed to the students across the state to avoid indulging in any act of violence and cast their votes peacefully.
A total of 6,891 candidates are in the fray for the 2026-27 students’ union elections in Odisha, according to data released by the Higher Education Department recently.
The campus elections have been cancelled at various colleges across the state due to the violence and other disturbances.
Meanwhile, Leaders of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) — the student wing of the Opposition BJD, and the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), student wings of Left parties are leaving no stone unturned to secure victory in the students’ union elections, scheduled to be held on Thursday.
–IANS
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