New Delhi: Amid tight security, a festive atmosphere, and allegations of malpractice, voting for the high-octane Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections was held here on Thursday with an estimated voter turnout of nearly 40 per cent.
While it is a triangular contest, the main battle is between the RSS-affiliated ABVP and the Congress-backed NSUI. The two parties, who have dominated DUSU polls over the years, traded barbs and allegations even on the voting day.
Chief Election Officer Raj Kishore Sharma said polling proceeded smoothly across most colleges.
According to officials, 39.45 per cent voter turnout was recorded, while data from seven to eight colleges was still awaited. The figure was better than last year's 35 per cent.
At Miranda House, more than 60 per cent of the 5,000 students exercised their franchise, showcasing an energetic participation. Polling was held in two phases -- from 8.30 am to 1 pm for day scholars and from 3 pm to 7.30 pm for evening students.
To ensure smooth voting, Delhi Police deployed over 600 personnel, including 160 with body-worn cameras, while drones and CCTV surveillance covered sensitive areas.
For the first time in years, the university witnessed what students described as "clean and green elections", with strict enforcement of the Lyngdoh Committee's anti-defacement guidelines.
Amid the buzz of loudspeakers and the clutter of flyers, another factor that stood out for many in this year's elections was the visibility of female candidates leading from the front.
At polling centres across the university, first-year students arrived in groups, many dropped off by parents eager to let them witness the atmosphere first-hand, while others came in carpools or crowded cabs.
With classes suspended, groups of students stood outside polling booths talking about their experience.
What sets apart the 2025 polls is the prominence of women candidates in the race for the top post, a development the campus has not seen in almost two decades. ABVP's Nupur Sharma was the last woman to hold the DUSU president's office in 2008-09.
The National Students' Union of India has fielded Joslyn Nandita Choudhary, a postgraduate student of Buddhist Studies, who has focused her campaign on hostel shortage, campus safety and the demand for menstrual leave.
The SFI-AISA combine has nominated Anjali, a student of Indraprastha College for Women, who has campaigned on issues of gender sensitisation, fee hikes and the restoration of grievance redressal mechanisms.
On the other hand, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has fielded Aryan Maan from Bahadurgarh, who has promised subsidised metro passes, free Wi-Fi across campus, accessibility audits for persons with disabilities, and better sports facilities.
Even as polling progressed, the atmosphere remained charged with allegations and counter-allegations.
The NSUI accused the ABVP of "vote manipulation" at Kirori Mal, Hindu and Hansraj colleges. NSUI president Varun Choudhary demanded the cancellation of ABVP's presidential candidate's nomination, alleging "systematic vote chori" and claiming the "RSS-BJP backed ABVP is attempting to undermine the democratic spirit of DU elections." The ABVP rejected the charges, terming them "a reflection of NSUI's frustration".
"The NSUI is no longer in the race for second but struggling for third place," ABVP Delhi secretary Sarthak Sharma said. He also accused NSUI of "blaming EVMs like the Congress does after every loss".
ABVP supporters alleged that the current DUSU president and NSUI leader, Ronak Khatri, entered Kirori Mal College with outsiders and created a commotion.
Khatri, however, posted a video on X, countering that "the ABVP is pressuring students to cast their votes" and alleging that "vote theft" was taking place since morning.
The DUSU elections remain a high-profile student contest, often seen as a mirror of national political trends. The union was established in 1949, with its first elections held in 1954.
Over the decades, it has produced leaders who went on to hold key positions in Indian politics, including the late Arun Jaitley, Ajay Maken, Alka Lamba and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
The contest is for four positions -- president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary -- and results will be announced on September 19.
In the 2024 polls, the NSUI ended its seven-year drought by winning the president and joint secretary posts, while the ABVP secured the vice-president's office and retained the secretary position.
Over the past decade, the ABVP has dominated the presidential elections, winning six times, while the NSUI has bagged the post twice.
From the ABVP, Satendra Awana (2015-16), Amit Tanwar (2016-17), Ankiv Baisoya (2018-19), Shakti Singh (2018-19), Akshit Dahiya (2019-23) and Tushar Dedha (2023-24) have held the president's office.
Shakti Singh was promoted as the president after Baisoya resigned from the post following his suspension from the ABVP in a fake degree row.
NSUI broke through in 2017-18 with Rocky Tuseed and again in 2024-25 with Ronak Khatri. Elections were suspended for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
