In the keenly-contested JNU students’ union polls, the voter turnout increased to 59.6 per cent from the last year’s 53.3 per cent. It’s the first election in the backdrop of the controversial sedition row.

The polling on Friday was off to a slow start, but the queues got longer as the day progressed. The elections are being seen as a three-cornered contest as the RSS-affiliate ABVP and Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA) fight it out with the Left alliance of Aisa and Students’ Federation of India.

The JNUSU polls have hogged limelight this year against the backdrop of the February 9 event during which “anti-India” slogans were allegedly raised. Following the controversial event, the outgoing JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and two others were arrested on charges of sedition.

The first phase of polling began at 9 am and concluded by 1 pm. The second phase begin at 2.30 pm. The counting of votes will begin on Friday night. The results are likely to be declared on September 11 and will be followed by an oath-taking ceremony.

“It is a triangular contest. Students have become very cautious after the recent saffronisation attempts by the Centre,” Kavita, a student of School of Social Sciences, said.

In the last year’s polls, the RSS’ student wing ABVP won a central panel post after a hiatus of 14 years. BAPSA’s presidential candidate Rahul Sonpimple has been the show stealer at the presidential debate this year. BAPSA, the dalit student group, has gained popularity on campus in recent times.

Eighteen candidates contested the polls for four posts in the JNUSU central panel.

According to the JNUSU election panel, the zre are over 8,600 eligible voters.