Polling for 15 Panjab University senate seats from the graduate constituency saw 14.68% of registered graduates exercising their franchise on Sunday. The voting took place at 271 booths across five states and three union territories. Among teachers, 91.72% voted, while all principals cast their ballots.

Polling was held across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir. At 33 booths in Panjab University and city colleges, the turnout at several booths remained low specially in morning hours, and gradually picked up.

No complaints were reported during polling from 8 am to 5 pm. “No untoward incident has been reported,” said Prof YP Verma, registrar and returning officer for the senate election. A total of 51 candidates are contesting the 15 seats — two reserved for Punjab, one for the UT and 12 open. The constituency has 6,25,784 registered electors.

The graduate constituency has attracted PU professors who have played strategic roles in previous senate and syndicate bodies, as well as PhD research scholars contesting for the first time. Among the prominent candidates are Prof Ashok Goyal, considered a long-time strategist in the senate and syndicate; Mukesh Kumar Arora, seeking a return to the senate; former student leader Simranjit Singh Dhillon, active in Mohali politics; and Prof Sudhir Mehra, who has been vocal about reservation on campus.

Counting of votes for the graduate constituency will begin at 9.30 am on Wednesday at the Gymnasium Hall, Sector 14, Panjab University campus. Counting for affiliated arts college constituencies will be held on Tuesday.

The current senate election follows a prolonged gap after the previous 91-member Senate’s term expired on October 31, 2024. The election has also assumed significance following protests and opposition to an earlier move to alter the senate’s composition.