Students of Presidency University are having a referendum on whether professor Sugato Bose should continue as the chairperson of the elite university's Mentor Group after he decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

The university's student body, Independent Consolidation, held the two-day referendum from yesterday on the campus.

Students were asked to cast their votes as “Yes” or “No” on the subject: “After being nominated by the present ruling party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Mr Sugata Bose should resign from the Governing Council and Mentor Group of Presidency University and the search committee constituted to appoint the vice-chancellor”.

The result of the referendum will be announced tomorrow, but will not be binding on the university management as it will only reflect the choice of the students.

Bose, who is also a Gardiner professor of Oceanic History and Affairs at Harvard University, said he will take a decision on whether to step down or continue with the post before filing his nomination at the end of April.

A descendant of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, he will be contesting as a Trinamool Congress candidate from the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency.