BJP-backed panel sweeps Himachal Pradesh University non-Teaching employees association polls

Shimla: It's a big victory for BJP as the saffron party backed panel emerged as winner in  Himachal Pradesh University non-Teaching employees association polls.

 A BJP-backed panel on Wednesday swept the non-teaching employees Association polls of Himachal Pradesh University held here.

The BJP-backed panel won five out of the seven posts including the post of President, Joint secretary, Finance Secretary, Organizing secretary and press secretary.

The remaining two posts of Vice president and Joint secretary was captured by the Congress-backed candidates.

BJP-supported Vipin Kumar was re-elected as the President of the association. He defeated his Congress-backed PP Negi by a margin of 13 votes. Kumar polled 189 votes against 176 and 70 polled to Negi and CPI(M)-backed Naresh.

Congress-backed Raj Kumar Thakur was elected as Vice President who defeated his nearest rival BJP-backed Dinesh Kumar by 67 votes.

For the post of General Secretary BJP supported Geeta Ram dethroned Mahesh (Congress backed) by 45 votes.

Out of the total of 538 non-teaching employees in the university, 441 cast their votes while three votes were declared invalid.

Kumar said filling up of 300 vacant posts of non-teaching employees would his top priority and he would also strive for creation of more posts as no new post had been created since 1975 in spite of sufficient increase in workload.