The 2025 DUSU elections showed a striking paradox: voter turnout increased, while NOTA captured over 23,000 ballots. Together, these trends reveal a student body eager to participate in democracy yet frustrated with the choices offered.
The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections this year told two very different stories simultaneously. On one hand, Turnout this year stood at 39.45% , a clear jump from the 30–35 % range of the past few years. On the other, thousands of them also pressed the “None of the Above” (NOTA) button, choosing to reject every candidate on the ballot. Put together, these numbers show us a student body that is more active but also more dissatisfied with the choices in front of it.
Many credit this rise of turnout to the “Clean Elections” effect. After the Delhi High Court pulled up DUSU candidates last year for their excessive defecation, this election was much more regulated. For many first-year students, this made the whole process worth engaging with.
However, many also used their vote to say no to everyone. NOTA polled over 23,000 votes across the four central panel posts—around ten per cent of all votes cast which is significantly higher than last year’s.
| Post | NOTA Votes | Percentage of Total Votes Polled (Approx.) |
| President | 3,175 | 5.3% |
| Vice President | 5,820 | 9.7% |
| Secretary | 7,365 | 12.3% |
| Joint Secretary | 7,314 | 12.2% |
| Total Across 4 Posts | 23,674 | ~10% of total votes polled |
Why did so many students go this way? For one, the reputation of DUSU elections as contests dominated by money and power still lingers, even if this year looked cleaner. For another, there’s frustration with the limited choice. The ABVP–NSUI rivalry has long dominated the union.
This leaves us with a paradox. Students are more engaged: they are turning up to vote in bigger numbers—but they are also more critical, and less willing to settle.
Picture Credits: Anjali P for DU Beat
Juhi Bansal
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