With DUSU election day less than a week away, tensions rise as Delhi’s largest student body puts forth its demands and expectations from the parties it votes for. Infrastructural upgrades, increased hostel seats, and campus hygiene remain the most widespread demands.
Stakes are high as tensions and excitement rise over the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections which are to be held on September 18th 2025. The counting of votes is scheduled for the following day, on September 19th 2025. The DUSU elections serve as a platform that acts as a stepping stone for students into politics, either as representatives or voters. With the University of Delhi having the largest student body in the capital, the parties involved in the DUSU elections certainly have a significant weight on their shoulders.
Students have put forth multiple demands with increased hostel availability and campus hygiene being top concerns. First year philosophy student, K.Sameepya from Indraprastha College for Women stated that the administration is quite detached from the students.
If you want to connect with [the administration] there are a lot of things you kind of have to jump through. And even then it is actually quite difficult to connect with any of them.”
A first year student from SRCC remarked on the need for improved safety outside colleges, particularly women’s colleges. She also raised concerns about the lack of campus hygiene, talking about the state of the restrooms on campus saying, “with the current conditions of the washrooms, you wouldn’t even want to step in there.” Akanksha Singh, a first year student from Ramjas College talked about how the restrooms do not have proper doors – “So, even dogs sometimes come and go in the washrooms on the ground floor.” The availability of hostels, especially for first year students and students from out of state, needs to be increased according to several students.
The release of the manifesto was also a concern. Akanksha Singh, among other students, expressed their frustration over candidates simply “barging into classrooms” before introducing their names and blatantly asking for votes. Candidates generally give little information about their past work, promises and what they stand for, skipping to directly asking for votes. Students say that it is difficult to vote for people they don’t really know they can trust.
The 2025 DUSU elections are likely to be the most competitive yet with the introduction of the fourth year for undergraduate degrees by the NEP. This implies that third year students are no longer considered “final year” students and are hence eligible to compete for positions such as President and Vice-President, increasing the overall competitiveness of the entire process. Further, the 2025 elections will follow stricter guidelines with bans and limitations on loudspeakers, banners, and posters. Posters are to remain handmade and put up in only certain locations. This is expected after the vote counting for the 2024 elections was withheld upon the involvement of the High Court due to alleged defacement of public property.
The presidential candidates for this year’s elections include Aryan Maan for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Joslyn Choudhary for the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), and Anjali for the SFI(Students’ Federation of India)-AISA(All India Students’ Association). With the highly competitive atmosphere of the DUSU elections, each candidate is likely to give the other a run for their money.
Read Also: Protest at Motilal Nehru College against Student Election Nominations
Souparnika.S.R
Image Credits: Jansatta
