Polling to elect the new students’ council of Panjab University began at 9.30 am on Monday amid heavy deployment of police force on the campus.This year, there is a four-way contest for the post of the president. Elections are also being held for the posts of vice-president, secretary, joint secretary and Department Representatives (DRs).A total of 16 candidates are contesting the elections, including four for the president’s post. The contest for the top post is between Gurman Singh Sidhu of the Congress’ student wing National Students’ Union of India (NSUI); Aadil Brar of the AAP-backed Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP); Ankit Bidhan of the BJP-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP); and Darshpreet Singh of Sath.Five candidates are in the fray for the vice-president’s post, while three are contesting for secretary and four for joint secretary.Meanwhile, the campus has turned into a fortress today, with more than 500 police personnel deputed at various locations. Despite expectations of a low voter turnout due to the long weekend, bumper-to-bumper traffic at all entry gates indicated strong student participation.Voters were allowed to enter their respective departments by 9.30 am. Some students who were delayed due to heavy traffic were given an additional 10-minute window to reach their departments.Till the time filing this report, students were still being allowed to enter major departments, including the University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS), Law Department and University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET).Voting will continue till 11.30 am, and counting of votes will begin at noon. The results are expected to be officially declared by the evening. Counting will be held amid tight security at the Gymnasium Hall.