New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI): With polling for the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections scheduled for Friday, major student organisations, including the ABVP, NSUI and the AISA-SFI alliance, are gearing up for one of the most closely watched contests in student politics.
The contest for the four central panel posts, namely president, vice president, secretary and joint secretary, is expected to see an intense battle between the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Congress-backed National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and the Left alliance of the All India Students' Association (AISA) and Students' Federation of India (SFI).
The university has restricted vehicular movement on key stretches, including Chhatra Marg, Probyn Road and University Road, ahead of the election process, while student organisations are taking their campaigns to classrooms, college campuses and social media.
According to an advisory issued by the university, traffic restrictions will remain in place on both Friday and Saturday, till the declaration of results.
This year's election comes a year after the ABVP won three of the four central panel posts in 2025, including the president's position, while the NSUI secured the vice-president's post.
ABVP's Aryan Maan had won the president's post with 28,841 votes, while NSUI's Rahul Jhansla secured the vice-president's post with 29,339 votes. ABVP candidates Kunal Chaudhary and Deepika Jha became secretary and joint secretary, respectively, after defeating their opponents.
This year, ABVP has fielded Yash Dabas for president, Ishu Maurya for vice-president, Riya Chhawadi for secretary and Lakshya Raj Singh for joint secretary.
Dabas, who hails from Kanjhawala in Delhi, is pursuing studies in the Department of Buddhist Studies and is an international-level tennis player. He has participated in ITF competitions in Spain, Australia and Serbia, according to ABVP.
Maurya, a law student at Campus Law Centre, has been associated with ABVP since 2021, while Chhawadi is a fourth-year BA Programme student at Sri Aurobindo College and an inter-college basketball player. Singh, also pursuing law at Campus Law Centre, has represented India in handball at the Asian Games and World Championship, the organisation said.
The NSUI has nominated Vijay Shankar Meena for president, Vir Chatrath for vice-president, Namrata Chaudhary for secretary and Gopal Choudhary for joint secretary.
The organisation has said its campaign will focus on putting "student interests first" and building a "prosperous, safe and better" Delhi University.
Its "My Campus, My Manifesto" campaign received several suggestions from students, with the initiative aimed at incorporating their concerns into its election agenda, members had said.
ABVP's "My DU, My Manifesto" campaign has similarly sought feedback from students, while the organisation has highlighted issues related to student welfare and campus facilities.
The AISA-SFI alliance has nominated Ananya Raturi for president, Akshat Shikhar for vice-president, Stanzin Deskyong for secretary and B Parijaat for joint secretary.
The alliance has described its panel as representing "alternative politics" and said it would seek to build a student-led DUSU while opposing "money and muscle politics".
Student safety and accommodation have emerged as an important poll plank, among other issues, following the Satya Niketan building collapse earlier this month, which claimed seven lives, including students. The incident has renewed attention on the availability and safety of student housing in the national capital.
The alliance has raised demands related to affordable accommodation and hostel facilities, while ABVP has highlighted its housing agenda, including proposals for a Student Housing Cell and safety audits.
The final provisional list released after scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations includes seven candidates for president, five for vice-president, four for secretary and four for joint secretary.
Voting will be held on September 18, with polling for day classes from 8.30 am to 1 pm and evening classes from 3 pm to 7.30 pm. Counting of votes is scheduled for September 19 at the Multipurpose Hall, University Sports Stadium, North Campus.
The results will determine the composition of the DUSU central panel for the 2026-27 academic session.
(PTI)
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
