Resignation of Chief Election Officer; Senate Undermined?

Yesterday, the authorities asked Rohan Bansal to relinquish his responsibilities as the Chief Election Officer, Election Council. Six hours to the conduction of the General Elections, the authorities refused to sign any election related document with Rohan Bansal’s name on them. With an imminent election which couldn’t be postponed, Rohan Bansal was forced to submit his resignation to the Students’ Senate.
The events that unfurled yesterday posit two important questions: Was the Students’ Senate right in appointing Rohan Bansal the CEO of the Election Council? And if so, were the authorities right in asking for his resignation?

The minutes of the Students’ Senate state that Rohan Bansal was elected to the post of CEO on merit and in accord to all the rules and regulations laid by the Constitution of the Students’ Gymkhana. And while Rohan Bansal might have been recently requisitioned by the SSAC for questioning in regard to the recent Antaragni fiasco, the SSAC in its wise judgment acquitted him of all charges and allowed him to continue functioning in all positions of responsibilities that he held. Asking for his resignation after exonerating him goes against the spirit of any judicial system.

While it’s up to debate whether Rohan Bansal should have taken the high road and resigned to prevent any such exigent circumstance or whether Rohan Bansal was right in continuing as the CEO considering that he had previously successfully conducted the By-Elections; the question that remains unanswered is whether the intervention by authorities undermines to powers of the Students’ Senate and will such interventions be common in the future?

As the status-quo now lies, Rohan Bansal has resigned from the post of the Chief Elections Officer and the Senate has formally accepted his resignation. The Students’ Senate has submitted a formal resolution stating that it condemns the intervention of the authorities in the regular functioning of the Students’ Gymkhana. In the aftermath of all this drama, the possibility of conduction the General Elections on time seem very bleak.

Written by a concerned student, who prefers to remain anonymous. The views conveyed in the article are solely of the author. The opinion section of Vox Populi provides a platform for the campus junta to voice their opinions.