The results of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections, originally scheduled to be announced a day after the polls, will now be declared on November 21, nearly two months after the voting took place.
The elections were held on September 27, with a voter turnout of just 51,379 out of the 1.45 lakh eligible voters, marking the lowest participation in at least a decade, reported PTI.
In the wake of the election campaign, there were widespread reports of defacement of public spaces with campaign materials, prompting the Delhi High Court to intervene.
The high court took note of the defacement issue and stayed the election results until the cleanup was completed.
Following this, the court issued a ruling on Monday, November 11, lifting the stay conditionally and allowing the counting of votes to proceed on November 21.
The court set the condition that all campaign-related defacement be cleared before the process could begin. The court has allowed the university to announce the results on or before November 26, contingent on these conditions, PTI added.
As per the revised schedule, vote counting for both the central panel and college representatives will commence at 8.30 am on November 21 at the DU Conference Centre, in the presence of an Election Commission team to ensure transparency.
"Preparations are underway for the counting. Most of the cleaning work has already been completed, and we are confident the process will proceed smoothly," a Delhi University official said.
The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used for the central panel elections, which include the posts of president, vice-president, secretary, and joint secretary, have been stored in a secure room at the university’s examination department, under 24-hour police surveillance. Meanwhile, ballot boxes for electing college representatives have been kept safely in individual colleges.
