STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Students at Gauhati University continued their protest for the third consecutive day on Saturday over the cancellation of the candidature of an AASU-backed candidate in the ongoing university students' union election, with several protesters continuing an indefinite hunger strike. The agitation centred on the cancellation of the candidature of AASU-backed candidate Nayan Akash Bora for the post of general secretary. His supporters alleged that the university authorities had not provided a satisfactory explanation for the decision. The protesting students demanded clarity from the university administration over the grounds for cancelling the nomination and maintained that the agitation would continue until their demands were addressed.
The university's official notifications list showed that the notification concerning valid, withdrawn and cancelled nominations for the 2026 PGSU election was issued on September 24. The protest intensified on Friday when students took to the university road and burnt tyres as part of their agitation. The protesters subsequently continued their sit-in at the protest venue, with some students reportedly lying down at the site while observing the hunger strike. A team of doctors also visited the protest venue on Saturday to assess the health condition of the students who had been on hunger strike for the past three days. The protesters warned that they would continue their agitation until the university authorities responded to their demands. They also indicated that they might explore legal recourse if the administration failed to address the issue. The development brought the ongoing Gauhati University students' union election into focus, with the protesters seeking transparency over the decision to cancel the candidate's nomination.