A woman is in the race for AMU Students’ Union president, and Amar Ujala says that is a first. The paper on 29 October, the day nominations were due, carried an interview with Amina Irshad and described her as the first woman candidate for the post.
She is not the only one. Two women students, Nashra Naeem and Irfa Khan, have said they will contest for vice-president, and several others are reported to be eyeing cabinet seats.
Who is Amina Irshad
- Fourth-year PhD scholar in the Department of Economics, AMU
- From Lucknow; came to AMU in 2018
- Did her graduation at Jamia Millia Islamia
- Announced her candidature on Tuesday, 27 October, at the library canteen, Hind Rashtra reported
What she is campaigning on
Speaking to students at the library canteen, she put university land at the top of her list. According to Hind Rashtra, she said the Nagar Nigam had taken over AMU land and that she would fight to get it back. With around 37,000 students on campus, she argued, a united student body could make itself heard by the government.
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Police presence on campus is her second big issue. She objected to police entering the campus without permission, to lathi-charges on students and to cases being filed against them, and said she would oppose any such entry. In the Amar Ujala video she said she was contesting on a range of issues that affect students at the university.
The vice-president contest
Irfa Khan, a student of the Department of English, pointed out that the union has not had an election in eight years. An elected team, she said, could take up placements, hostels and the quality of food.
Election dates
- Nominations: 29 October 2026
- Polling: Thursday, 5 November 2026
- Counting: the same evening
The final list of candidates will be clear once scrutiny of nominations is over. We are tracking every post on our AMUSU 2026-27 candidates and results page, and the schedule and campaign so far are in our AMUSU election 2026 explainer. The long-running campus debate on a woman president is here.
Frequently asked questions
Is Amina Irshad the first woman to contest for AMUSU president?
Amar Ujala described her as the first woman presidential candidate in the AMU Students’ Union election.
When is the AMUSU election 2026?
Polling is on Thursday, 5 November 2026, with counting the same evening.
Who are the women candidates for vice-president?
Nashra Naeem and Irfa Khan have announced they will contest for vice-president.
Source: Amar Ujala, 29 October 2026; Hind Rashtra, 28 October 2026.
