After scrutiny of papers, only four candidates are in fray for the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) president’s post but not a single woman is in the race.Students campaigning during the students council election at UIET South Campus, Sector 25 in Chandigarh on Tuesday. (Keshav Singh/HT)This is for the first time in 11 years that no party has fielded a woman candidate for the top post.The number of candidates in fray is also lower than previous years when at least eight to nine candidates would be vying for the post.Those in the race include Aadil Brar of the Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), Ankit Bidhan of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Darshpreet Singh of Sath and Gurman Singh Sidhu of the National Students Union of India (NSUI). The nomination of a fifth candidate, Pranav of Students Organisation of India (SOI), was cancelled over low attendance. SOI staged a protest outside the dean students welfare (DSW) office on Monday and said it would continue its agitation against the university.Gender gapThis is for the first time since 2015 that no woman is contesting the president’s post. The Left parties have usually shown the way by fielding women candidates. In fact, the campus got its first woman president from a left-leaning party – the Students for Society (SFS) in 2018. Till date, Kanurpiya of SFS remains the only woman to have won the post.SFS has not contested the PUCSC polls since 2024, while PSU Lalkaar, another left-leaning party, is also out of this year’s contest. The All India Students Association (AISA) is the only left organisation contesting the elections this time. Its candidates Armaan Singh and Ameen Kaur are fighting for the vice-president and joint secretary’s post, respectively. This is also AISA’s first time in the PUCSC polls after its candidate failed to clear the nomination process last year.On the lack of women’s representation in the elections for the top post, Kanurpiya said, “An all-male list is a reflection of the male-chauvinist culture on campus. It’s the old boys’ club of PU that still influences student body elections and conforms to politics that is exclusionary,” she said.Former DSW and political science professor Emanual Nahar said, “Parties start canvassing two to three months in advance. They usually pick candidates based on who they feel are most likely to win. But it’s unfortunate that there is not a single woman in the race this time.”3 Punjabi facesThree of the four presidential candidates are Punjabi faces.Ankit Bidhan of ABVP is the only Haryanvi face in the list.ABVP insiders say the fact that Bidhan is the only Haryanvi candidate may stack all votes from students of the state in his favour while Punjab candidates’ votes will get divided.But experts opine that ASAP which has entered into an alliance with Indian National Students Organisation (INSO), the student wing of Haryana-based Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), is also likely to benefit from the mix of Haryana and Punjab voters.Five in fray for vice-president postFive candidates are contesting for the vice-president’s post: Akanksha Thakur of NSUI, Armaan Singh of AISA, Armaan Singh Bhinder of Panjab University Democratic Front, Manmeet Kaur of Saakhi organisation and Vipul Bhadu of INSLD Students Organisation. Three candidates are contesting for general secretary’s post — Aryan Saharan of INSO, independent candidate Dhyan Singh and Muskan Chauhan of Himachal Pradesh Students Union.The joint secretary’s post will see a four-way contest between Ameen Kaur of AISA, Devraj Singh Nain of Hindustan Students Association, Ram Chander Singh of University Student Organisation and independent candidate Vishal Bamal.Homegrown campus parties stay outBoth campus-originated parties, Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) and Panjab University Students Union (PUSU), are not contesting any of the four office-bearer posts this year. SOPU won the general secretary’s post last year with Abhishek Dagar, while Ardas Kaur contested the president’s post but lost. PUSU, meanwhile, has not won a single post in the panel for the last several years.In the past, both parties used to dominate the campus elections. PUSU last won the president’s post in 2016 with Nishant Kaushal, while SOPU’s last victory came in 2012, when Satinder Singh Satti was elected.