NSUI sees new leadership: Jakhar steps in as president

The Congress on Friday appointed Vinod Jakhar as the national president of its student wing, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) , with immediate effect, an official statement said.

The decision, announced by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) , was taken by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge . Jakhar, who currently heads the NSUI’s Rajasthan unit, succeeds Varun Choudhary , whose contributions as national president were acknowledged by the party.

A prominent Dalit leader, Jakhar previously served as the president of the Rajasthan University Student Union . He assumes the role at a time when student politics is set to heat up, with university elections, including the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls, on the horizon.

Jakhar had come into the national spotlight in September last year when he was arrested for allegedly vandalising an RSS ‘Shastra Pujan’ event at Rajasthan University. He spent 17 days in jail before being granted bail by the Rajasthan High Court .

With Jakhar’s elevation to the national post, the leadership of the NSUI’s Rajasthan unit is now vacant, and a fresh appointment is expected soon, sources said.