The Punjab Students Union (PSU) has levelled allegations of serious irregularities and potential vote rigging after claiming a nearly 10-fold, or over 900 per cent, rise in the number of votes at the Samana booth ahead of the Panjab University Senate elections.PSU state president Ranvir Singh Randhawa and Senate candidate Dr Amandeep Singh Khiowali alleged that approximately 1,692 new votes had been allegedly added at the Samana booth in Patiala district.They said it was surprising that such a large number of votes had allegedly been added despite educational institutions in Samana city not being affiliated with Panjab University.In 2020, the booth had only 168 votes, and the sudden rise by 2026 raised doubts, they said. They alleged that no other booth in Punjab had witnessed such a large increase in votes to date.Randhawa claimed that a PSU team visited villages such as Matauli, Ghagga, Dullat, Burar and others to verify the identities and addresses of the voters.According to the PSU, none of the voters could be found to be residents of these villages, even though the villages had been listed as their residential addresses.The leaders alleged that the entire sequence of events indicated a larger conspiracy. The student body has demanded a high-level probe into the matter.Panjab University has restarted the process of electing its Senate after a prolonged gap following the expiry of the previous 91-member body’s four-year term on October 31, 2024. The election process began on September 7, 2026, with polling for six seats representing technical and professional colleges.Polling is being conducted in multiple phases from September 7 to October 4, covering principals, teaching staff, faculty and registered graduates.Khiowali alleged that BJP-RSS-backed Senate candidates were creating fake votes in order to take Panjab University away from Punjab and turn it into a Central University, and to regain control of the Senate by ensuring the victory of pro-RSS candidates in the Senate elections.Senate members have been accusing the Centre of interference and trying to take control of the university.Despite repeated attempts, the PU Registrar was unavailable for comment.