The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections have reached their final stage, with 21 candidates officially cleared to contest for the four top positions — president, vice president, secretary, and joint secretary. Polling will be held on September 18, followed by counting of votes on September 19.
This year’s polls are expected to witness a direct contest between the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress. Independent candidates have also entered the fray, highlighting the multi-cornered and competitive nature of campus politics.
Presidential race
Nine names remain in the race for the president’s post. The provisional list includes:
- Anjali (Department of Buddhist Studies)
- Anuj Kumar (Law Centre – II)
- Aryan Maan (Department of Library and Information Science)
- Divyanshu Singh Yadav (Campus Law Centre)
- Joslyn Nandita Choudhary nee Jeetu Choudhary (Department of Buddhist Studies)
- Rahul Kumar (Ramjas College)
- Umanshi (Department of Buddhist Studies)
- Yogesh Meena (Campus Law Centre)
- Abhishek Kumar (Satyawati College)
Other posts
- Vice president: Three contenders — Govind Tanwar, Rahul Jhansla, and Sohan Kumar (all from the Department of Buddhist Studies).
- Secretary: Four candidates — Abhinandana Pratyashi (Hindu College), Kabir (Law Centre – II), Kunal Choudhary (Department of Buddhist Studies), and Mohit (Shri Ram College of Commerce).
- Joint secretary: Five names — Abhishek Kumar (Hindu College), Akshita (Bhagini Nivedita College), Ameeliya Ann Varghese (Department of Social Work), Deepika Jha (Department of Buddhist Studies), and Lavkush Bhadana (Zakir Husain Delhi College).
Campaign issues
Student groups are centering their campaigns around long-standing concerns, including:
- Shortage of hostel facilities and lack of affordable accommodation for outstation students.
- Fee hikes and rising educational costs.
- Women’s safety and overall campus security.
- Concerns related to the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, especially its impact on workload, curriculum, and student life.
Significance beyond campus
DUSU elections are closely tracked at the national level, as they have historically produced several prominent leaders such as former finance minister Arun Jaitley and senior Congress leader Ajay Maken. Political parties also see the exercise as a measure of youth sentiment and a platform to test new strategies of student outreach.
Election schedule
- Scrutiny of nomination papers: September 10 (till 3 p.m.)
- Publication of list of nominated candidates: September 10 (3:15–6 p.m.)
- Withdrawal of nominations: September 11 (till 12 noon)
- Final list of candidates: September 11 (till 5 p.m.)
- Election day: September 18
- Voting (Day classes): 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Voting (Evening classes): 3:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
- Counting of votes: September 19
With campaigning entering its final leg, attention now shifts to September 18, when thousands of Delhi University students will vote to elect their new union leadership.