The anxiety among Patna University Student Union election candidates is mounting as the poll date (December 5) approaches nearer.

On Monday, the last date for filing election papers, the university received nominations from 118 candidates, however, there was tension on the university campus as reports of cancellation of some of the nominations surfaced.

Members of All India Students’ Federation (AISF), All India Students’ Association and Chhatra RJD staged a demonstration at the university and outside the vice-chancellor’s residence as there were reports that the United Left presidential candidate, Bhagya Bharti’s, nomination was cancelled.

This time, AISF, the student wing of the CPI, AISA, the student wing of the CPI-ML (Liberation) and Chhatra RJD have joined hands to put up a United Left candidate. Bharti is from the AISF. There was report that Bharti’s nomination paper was missing despite submitting it to the university officials at the Wheeler Senate Hall on Monday.

AISF state secretary Sushil Kumar said: “In the evening we received information that the nomination paper of our presidential candidate was missing. When we approached the administration some officials said they have not received the nomination paper of Bhagya Bharti. As the university officials were not cooperating, we were left with no other alternative but to stage an agitation at the university and outside the VC’s residence.”

VC Rash Bihari Prasad Singh met a delegation of the United Left and assured them of looking into their problems.

On Tuesday, the nomination paper, however, was found and the administration claimed that the nomination paper never vanished and it was just a rumour.

Patna University dean education and chief election officer Khagendra Kumar said: “Bhagya’s nomination paper was always at the right place. Students had taken pictures of an incomplete list of candidates contesting the election on their mobile phones and spread the rumour that the United Left candidate’s nomination has been cancelled.”