As the final day of canvassing for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections drew to a close, the campuses of Delhi University witnessed a surge of political activity on Tuesday, with student leaders from all major parties sparing no effort to secure victory, reported Ifrah Mufti of The New Indian Express.
Campaigning lasted for over 12 hours, with candidates aggressively engaging with voters through door-to-door visits, class-to-class outreach and oneon- one meetings with first-time voters. The candidates introduced themselves, outlined their manifestos and made bold promises aimed at securing the student electorate’s trust.
Senior political figures from across party lines were seen on campuses, attempting to sway student opinion. Meanwhile, Left parties staged passionate nukkad nataks (street plays) to raise awareness about pressing student issues. Amid this fervent activity, tensions ran high. Blame games escalated and scuffles broke out turning the campus into a political battleground.
The atmosphere was equally charged at Vishwavidyalaya metro station, where political organisations hired local youth to distribute pamphlets, party stickers, and ballot number cards to commuters. One such worker shared that they were being paid Rs 500 per day for the task. The political outreach extended beyond the campus to prominent colleges like Kirori Mal College, Ramjas College, Shri Ram College of Commerce, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College and Aurobindo College.
At these locations, candidates engaged with students, discussing key issues and presenting their concerns. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) claimed to have visited approximately 18 colleges on the last day of campaigning. Among the eight presidential candidates this year, three are women, with fierce competition brewing between ABVP’s Aryan Mann and the National Students’ Union of India’s (NSUI) Joslyn Nandita Chaudhary.
Mann, a Masters student in Library Science at DU, has garnered significant support, with endorsements from various political leaders and student groups. Mann said, “We are receiving immense support from students across campuses.
Our track record, from launching the U-Special bus service to ensuring effective functioning of ICCs, has earned their trust. I’m confident that the students will place their trust in ABVP’s 3-1-3-4 ballot numbers and ensure our victory.”
JNU announces tentative poll dates
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has announced the tentative schedule for the 2025- 26 JNUSU elections, which are expected to take place six to eight weeks after the commencement of the new PhD session on September 12, 2025.
This year, in a significant move, JNU will also hold elections for the Internal Committees (IC) simultaneously with the JNUSU polls.