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Vandalism Erupts at DUSU Office Bringing Student Politics to a Dark Turn

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In a troubling incident the night of August 18, a group of around 20–25 unidentified individuals forcefully entered the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) office. They broke open the main gate, attacked security staff, smashed glass doors, overturned chairs, damaged tables, and even destroyed an air conditioner, according to Delhi University officials. Campus authorities have confirmed that police are investigating the case, and the vandalised office has been sealed for now.

A day later, the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) condemned the act, calling it “cowardly” and blaming the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). NSUI national president Varun Choudhary alleged that ABVP had a long history of campus violence and creating unsafe spaces, particularly for women students. He described the vandalism as a “clear display of ABVP’s frustration.”

ABVP, however, rejected the charges, accusing NSUI of staging the attack to gain attention ahead of polls. In its statement, the student wing said,

Groups that are unable to work on the ground or connect with students resort to propaganda.

ABVP further alleged that the vandalism was a “media stunt” designed to tarnish its image.

Choudhary, meanwhile, said NSUI would continue to campaign on issues of affordable education, timely scholarships, social justice, and women’s safety under the banner of “Mohabbat Ki Dukan.” 

This is not the first time student politics at Delhi University has seen such flashpoints. From the defacement of DUSU offices in past years to violent clashes during presidential campaigns, incidents of hostility have increasingly overshadowed the democratic spirit of campus elections. In 2023, the election season was marked by allegations of physical intimidation and misuse of money power. Many students now argue that the real issues — ranging from affordable housing and better transport to the lack of hostels and deteriorating infrastructure — rarely find space in these campaigns. Instead, the narrative is often dominated by national party rivalries that play out on campus grounds.

All this paints a clear picture: DUSU politics have shifted from simply political debate to increasingly performative and destructive spectacles. Rather than fostering constructive dialogue, recent developments suggest that winning appears to have become more about leveraging force or acts of power.

Read Also: DU Cracks Down on Poster Politics Ahead of Election Season

Featured Image Credit: DU Beat

Juhi Bansal

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Campus Central

“Anti–Common Student Nature”: DUSU Election’s ₹1 Lakh Bond Rule Faces Student Backlash

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As the much-anticipated DUSU elections dawn upon Delhi University, the administration’s decision to impose a mandatory ₹1 Lakh bond on contesting candidates has triggered a storm of protest. What the administration portrays as a measure of accountability is being widely condemned as a deliberate financial barrier that strikes right at the heart of campus democracy. For decades, DUSU has stood as a microcosm of Indian democracy, producing leaders who went on to shape national politics. By attaching a steep financial cost to participation, the administration risks rewriting that history. 

The policy has ignited rare partnerships as long-time rival student organisations come together to protest. While major organisations like ABVP and NSUI have historically housed high-profile candidates and expensive campaigns, they, too, have accused the new policy of being undemocratic and regressive. NSUI President Varun Chaudhary termed it a ‘political weapon’ that works in favour of their adversary, ABVP. 

Leftist student organisations like the Student Federation of India (SFI) also demand the withdrawal of the bond, describing it as “a regressive move that is nothing short of an elitist barrier designed to exclude ordinary students from democratic participation and stifle genuine student voices”. SFI calls out the university for their “anti–common student nature”, and highlights the growing concern over the integrity of free and fair student politics in India.

The imposition of this bond also raises much larger questions, especially those that target the identity of the university itself. The protesters claim that while administrations often justify restrictions in the name of discipline, the cumulative effect is a systematic narrowing of democratic participation. In an institution renowned for its inclusivity, the bond seems like a gatekeeping tool and risks silencing those very voices the union is meant to represent. Rather than strengthening electoral integrity, the bond tethers participation to monetary capacity, shrinking democracy to those who can afford it. 

With the DUSU election process now officially announced for September, the ₹1 lakh bond feels like more than just a procedural rule. For many students, it seems like a statement of who is considered fit to participate in democracy and who is not. As the elections draw closer and the campaigns gather pace, the debate over the bond is likely to remain at the centre of campus politics.

Image Source: The Hindu 

Navya Chandok
[email protected]

Read Also: DU Cracks Down on Poster Politics Ahead of Election Season

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DUB News

DU Cracks Down on Poster Politics Ahead of Election Season

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Over the years, DUSU elections have been accompanied by a flood of campaign material. Posters, banners, and flyers plastered on every available wall, pole, and surface on campus. The Delhi University Administration, in its quest to curtail the ever-growing splandour of posters during the DUSU elections that infest the infrastructure of campus, has given a set of anti-defacement guidelines to the contesting parties this year. The move comes as part of a larger effort to reduce the poster overload that takes over the university’s infrastructure each election season.

 Regurgating this stance at a sensitisation programme organised under the Swachhata Hi Seva 2025 initiative, Prof Yogesh Singh told the NSS volunteers and NCC cadets that, “We will not vote for the candidate who has more printed posters.” 

He urged the studentsto de-incentivise candidates from resorting to posters and make them “afraid of doing any defamation”. He further emphasised that keeping the campus clean is a year- round responsibility and not limited to days of drive. 

The programme, with DU Registrar Dr. Vikas Gupta, Dean of Colleges Prof. Balram Pani, and other officials in attendance,  slipped in a pledge against drug addiction. Prof. Singh, meanwhile, likened the challenge to the Yamuna’s pollution, a reminder that the youth hold the mop and bucket for a “developed” India.

In 2024, the Delhi High Court had directed the university to ensure all campaign graffiti and posters were removed before vote counting could begin. The court made it clear that the exercise was “corrective rather than punitive” and ordered that results, originally scheduled for September 27, be declared only after DU submitted an affidavit confirming the clean-up. The outcome was eventually announced in November.

This year, the administration has gone an extra mile to enforce the new guidelines by making the candidates sign a 1 lakh bond to ensure no violations in addition to signing the anti-defacement affidavit. This sort of strictness is only comparable to the anti-ragging policy. 

Whether these efforts will actually bore fruit is yet to be seen as Delhi University awaits its (in)famous election season, the timeline of which was released recently. For now, at least we have an idea of where the administration stands in midst of it all.

Image Credits: Ayushmaan for DU Beat

Yashika Jain
[email protected]

Read More: DU Issues Anti Defacement Measures; Mandates Rs. 1 Lakh Bond Rule For DUSU Poll Candidates

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Campus Central

DU Weighs Changes to ₹1 Lakh Bond Rule Before Campus Polls

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Delhi University (DU) is reconsidering its rule requiring candidates in the DU Students’ Union (DUSU) elections to submit a ₹1,00,000 bond. Introduced on August 8 as part of new poll guidelines to curb campus defacement ahead of the September elections, the rule forms part of a wider framework aligned with court orders and Lyngdoh Committee recommendations. These directives also mandate an anti-defacement affidavit, limit rallies and loudspeaker use, and impose penalties for violations. The bond requirement has drawn sharp criticism from student organisations, who say it imposes an unfair financial burden, especially on candidates from underprivileged backgrounds. A senior DU official told The Hindustan Times that the University is reviewing the provision in light of these objections.

According to the guidelines, “Each contesting candidate shall be required to execute a bond of Rs. 1.00 Lakh for the offence of any defacement/violation of provisions of these Guidelines by themselves or their supporters, at the time of filing nomination for any post of DUSU.” 

Speaking to The Hindustan Times, Chief Election Officer Raj Kishore Sharma said that during a meeting with students and representatives of student organisations, participants expressed unwillingness to pay the bond. Following the discussion, the election office asked them to submit written representations to the university administration by August 16. The matter will be reviewed again before a final decision is taken.

The backdrop to these new regulations lies in the 2024 DUSU election, when widespread vandalism during campaigning led the Delhi High Court to intervene. As a result, vote counting was delayed by nearly two months, pending the removal of defaced property and its restoration. 

Last week, university officials reaffirmed a zero-tolerance stance on defacement, limiting campaign materials to handmade posters, imposing expenditure limits, and promising to set up “walls of democracy” in colleges as approved spaces for election displays. They also agreed, following student suggestions, that these “walls” would be formally recommended for both college-level and university-wide elections.

Sharma further affirmed, “Following last year’s incidents, the university submitted a set of reform suggestions to the court aimed at preventing defacement this year, which included the ₹1,00,000 bond requirement. However, in view of the opposition from students, we have yet to take a final decision.”

The university has notified the schedule for this year’s elections—the DUSU elections will be held on September 18, with counting scheduled for September 19. The notification also sets September 10 as the deadline for filing nominations along with a ₹500 demand draft, affidavit, and ₹1 lakh bond, followed by scrutiny and the publication of nominated candidates the same day. The withdrawal deadline is September 11, after which the final list will be released. Voting will run from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for day classes and 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for evening classes.

With the deadline for filing nominations less than a month away, the fate of the ₹1 lakh bond provision remains uncertain. Student bodies await the administration’s final decision, which could determine whether the upcoming polls proceed under the contentious rule or with revised guidelines. For now, preparations for the September 18 elections continue under the shadow of last year’s controversies and the university’s push for cleaner, regulation-bound campaigning.

 

Image Credits: Deepanshi for DU Beat

Neeraja Unnikrishnan
[email protected] 

Read Also: DUSU And Central Council Elections 2025-2026: Official Timeline Announced

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Campus Central

NSUI Launches Protest Demanding DU to Implement 12 Days of Menstrual Leave Per Semester Policy

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The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) launched a protest on 13th August at the Arts Faculty of Delhi University’s North Campus calling for 12 days of menstrual leave per semester for female students of DU. Using the slogan, ‘From Pain to Power,’ and imprinting nearby walls with red handprints, the protest gained traction from students across the DU circuit.

The demonstration, carrying out a signature campaign in furtherance of their advocacy, was held under police supervision.

“Every signature is a stand for dignity, equality, and the right of female students to rest without stigma,” NSUI had claimed via a post on their official Instagram account.

Varun Choudhary, the nationwide President of NSUI emphasised on menstrual leave as a basic right for every female student, stating that, “We will continue the fight until Delhi University implements this rule, as this provision exists in many universities in India and abroad. NSUI has also fought for this in Panjab University,” he said.

According to the student outfit, menstrual health significantly influences female students’ academic outcomes, mental well-being, and active involvement in campus life. They emphasised that neglecting this concern often leaves students with the difficult choice of missing classes, or they get bound to endure considerable discomfort merely to satisfy attendance criteria, not excluding other curricular commitments that they have.

NSUI urged Delhi University to formulate policies that accommodate female students’ plight in order to make campus more inclusive and gender sensitive. The organisation vowed to continue their efforts to urge educational institutions to implement multi-stakeholder policies. 

Image Credits: NSUI Delhi via Instagram 

Divyanshi Dusad
[email protected]

Also Read: DUSU and Central Council Elections 2025-2026: Official Timeline Announced 

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Arts & Culture

DUSU And Central Council Elections 2025-2026: Official Timeline Announced

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University of Delhi has revealed the official calendar for the election of office bearers of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) and Central Council members for the academic session 2025-2026. The announcement marks the beginning of one of the most dynamic and politically vibrant seasons of the academic year, with the election process scheduled to take place in September. 

The official notification issued by the Registrar sets 10th September, 2025, as the deadline for the submission of nomination papers, which must be filed by 3:00 p.m. and accompanied by a demand draft of Rs.500, alongside an affidavit, and a bond of Rs. 1 lakh. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place the same day at 3:15 p.m., with the list of duly nominated candidates to be published at 6:00 p.m. For DUSU positions, nomination papers must be put in a sealed box located at the Office of the Chief Election Officer, Conference Centre, University of Delhi, North Campus. For Central Council elections, nominations must be filed with the respective college or department. Nomination forms can be accessed and downloaded from the official Delhi University Website. 

Candidates who wish to withdraw their nominations must do so by 11th September, 2025, before noon. The final list of candidates running for office will be published later that day at 5:00 p.m. The polling day is set for 18th September, 2025, followed by the counting of votes which will take place the next day on Friday, 19th September, 2025.

The voting process will be conducted in two stages. Students enrolled in day classes will vote during the window of 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and those in evening classes must vote from 3:00 p.m until 7:30 p.m.

The notification further aligns itself with the Code of Conduct, DUSU Constitution, and court orders from the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court. It reiterates that the procedure would be carried out in compliance with the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act (2007) and the National Green Tribunal guidelines. 

With the schedule now in place, the university is set to witness a charged election season, as student organisations and candidates prepare to campaign for leadership positions in one of the country’s most closely watched student political arenas. 

Image Credits: Sushil Kumar Verma

Navya Chandok
[email protected]

Read Also: DU Issues Anti Defacement Measures; Mandates 1 Lakh Bond Rule For DUSU Poll Candidates

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Campus Central

AAP’s Revamped Student Wing Gears Up for DUSU Elections

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With a rebrand, AAP’s ASAP enters the DUSU race promising a new political culture — free from education mafias and rooted in equity and reform.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s rebranded student wing, the Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), has kicked off its campaign drive a month ahead of the Delhi University Students’ Union elections. Relaunched in May with a new name and mission, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal promised to turn student activism into a force for national transformation. Previously known as the Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), the party was established in 2014 to bring AAP’s vision of “alternative politics” to campuses. CYSS made its debut in the 2015 Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections but failed to secure any seats. Despite winning the president’s post in the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council elections in 2022, CYSS’s presence and influence in campus politics remained largely limited. The party, thus, struggled to gain a foothold.

ASAP’s logo features a torch-shaped fountain pen nib. Kejriwal stated,

The mainstream politics of the past 75 years is the root cause of all problems in India,” describing the launch as a departure from a system where elections are won through the misuse of power. ASAP’s mission, he added, was to “win hearts”.

Although the on-campus presence of ASAP is comparatively smaller than that of its competitors — the BJP’s student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and the Congress’s student wing, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) — there has been a subtle shift in allegiances, with several former ABVP and NSUI members now seen in ASAP. The Lyngdoh Committee recommendations stipulate that no candidate should be allowed to spend more than ₹5,000 or use printed material such as posters and flyers; however, “money and muscle power” continue to be evident through large hoardings, the distribution of printed manifestos, and the use of branded vehicles for campaigning.

As reported by The Indian Express, Deepak Bansal, a former DUSU joint secretary (2011) and ex-ABVP member who joined CYSS in 2023, stated that contesting DUSU elections has traditionally required significant financial backing, with candidates often expected to come from affluent backgrounds even to be considered. Therefore, it closes doors on students hailing from middle-class families, who have ideas and vision but no political godfather. Another issue, highlighted by The Indian Express through Ishwar Chand — who served as ABVP’s Delhi state president from 2009 to 2015 and joined AAP last year — is that tickets are almost always given to Jats and Gurjars, typically those with political clout and money, citing a “regional advantage.” He added that it was not just ABVP, and that NSUI too operated in the same manner. A massive number of DU students from UP and Bihar are left without a voice because candidates are chosen based on wealth and caste.

Moreover, another Delhi University student told The Week that the dominant national parties don’t often pick issues that resonate with students. If they do, however, pick relevant issues, many students may turn towards them. ASAP’s entry into the DUSU race thus represents an attempt to widen the space for participation in campus politics.

In the words of AAP’s Avadh Ojha,

ASAP’s mission is to make the people feel that they are the true rulers of this nation, and that they must demand their rights from the government.”

 

Read Also: Delhi University Earns an A++ NAAC Grade Upon the Second Round of Evaluation

Image Source: PTI/India Today

Nasheta Zaidi

zaidinasheta @gmail.com

 

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Campus Central

DU Issues Anti Defacement Measures; Mandates Rs. 1 Lakh Bond Rule For DUSU Poll Candidates

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Delhi University’s new DUSU poll guidelines mandate a ₹1 lakh bond to curb defacement, sparking backlash over affordability and fairness from various student organisations.

Delhi University on 8th August issued a new set of guidelines that direct DUSU (Delhi University Student’s Union) poll candidates to endow a bond of Rs. 1 lakh at the time of filing nominations for any defacement or poll code violation. This comes amidst the advent of DUSU elections for the new session, which is expected in September. 

This amount will be liable for forfeiture if the candidate or their supporters are found violating defacement norms,” the advisory issued by DU Registrar Vikas Gupta stated.

This move was met with significant backlash from various student organisations on grounds of being uneconomic for the common folk, especially candidates from relatively underprivileged backgrounds, and being “exclusionist” in nature. 

Someone from a lower-income background may not be able to afford the Rs 1 lakh bond required for nomination, which could prevent them from participating despite their willingness,” Ronak Khatri, the incumbent president of DUSU, told PTI.

 He urged the university authorities to hold candidates individually accountable in case of any violation by lodging direct fines instead of mandating them for all candidates in general. 

We welcome the guidelines, but we oppose the provision that requires students to submit a ₹1 lakh bond. It is not convenient for students to pay such a huge amount. We will soon release our own guideline in response to this,” said ABVP National Secretary Sarthak Sharma.

All India Student’s Union (AISA) President Nitish Kumar supported the motive of curbing electoral malpractices; however, he raised questions about the monetary constraints that the guideline imposed. 

We welcome rules that aim to ensure transparency and reduce malpractice. However, merely depositing a bond of one lakh rupees cannot prevent the misuse of money power. In campuses like JNU, elections are conducted without the use of money,” he said. “The volume of money power used in DUSU can only be curbed by placing stakeholders in a more informed position,” he further added.

 He highlighted that during the Joint Proctor’s meeting, he proposed to democratise the election process through presidential debates, but he was met with no response from the authorities. 

The directive included a range of guidelines with adherence to court orders and the Lyngdoh Committee, such as an anti-defacement affidavit at the time of admission and barring the use of loudspeakers, rallies, and roadshows outside designated “walls of democracy”. Violations may attract a fine of Rs 25,000, suspension, rustication, or even disqualification.

The results of DUSU elections 2024 were delayed by two months due to outrage over rampant vandalism committed during election campaigning by various student outfits and Delhi High Court intervention directing student organisations to restore defaced property.

 

Read-DUSU 2024: An Election in Waiting

Image Credits – Nabeera for DU Beat

Divyanshi Dusad

[email protected]

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Arts Faculty Dean resigns amid student protests over exam mismanagement

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DU Arts Faculty Dean stepped down after student protests over exam delays. The incident involved allegations of negligence and chaos following the postponement of a political science general elective exam. 

The dean of Delhi University Faculty of Arts, Mr Amitava Chakravarti, resigned on Monday, January 6, following a heated student protest. He was allegedly heckled by a group of students led by the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) President, Ronak Khatri. The protest erupted after students of the Russian department were unable to receive the question papers for their political science general elective exam on time causing postponement and rescheduling of the exam. Frustrated by the situation, a group of students gathered at the dean’s office, demanding his resignation. The confrontation turned chaotic, with students accusing the dean of negligence. 

In a post shared on X, Ronak Khatri stated

“HoD of the Language Department and the Dean of the Arts Faculty were drunk, and their gross negligence caused students to suffer today. Over 60 students were unable to take the General Education (GE) Political Science exam. We have also learned that he abuses both students and administrative staff. We have demanded his immediate removal and disciplinary action against him.” 

Khatri also accused the Dean of abusing students and alleged that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident. The video accompanying the post shared by the DUSU President on Instagram and X shows the dean being surrounded by a group of students.  The video also shows a member of the faculty who accused the dean of creating a hostile environment and claimed,

“Since he (the dean) has come, every student and teacher in the Russian section have been ruined.” 

As the situation grew more tense, the dean reportedly fainted due to low blood sugar and was promptly rushed to the hospital. In a conversation with DU Beat, Mr Chakaravarti revealed that he was taken to Pramanand Hospital, where he was treated in the emergency room. He also stated,

“Even in the hospital a few student leaders kept on entering the emergency room and threatening me while I was just regaining my consciousness.” 

Since then, the dean has submitted his resignation to the director of South Campus. Furthermore, he has firmly denied the students’ and the DUSU president’s accusations of intoxication, calling them baseless and defamatory. According to Times Now, he has stated that he might consider filing a defamation case against individuals spreading false allegations. 

In the letter to the Director of South Campus, Chakravarti explains,

“However, on 6 th January, 2025, the examination could not be started on time due to some communication gap between the offices involved. That day itself I had an online meeting of a national level expert group regarding the promotion of Bangla as a Classical Language from 9:30 a.m. Hence, when I could check my mobile for missed call and could call back, I came to know of the delay and the student unrest about this, and rushed to the Department.

He further adds that it was in fact one of his colleagues who took advantage of the situation and instigated the students to go against him,

“The said colleague, knowing very well of the reasons of me being holding that position, or that of my name being included as Ph.D. supervisor with a retired teacher of Russian as the Co-supervisor, instigated the students by accusing me of wrongdoings, and underlining the fact that I am a teacher of Bengali. This led to the student leaders abusing me further, asking me to read from a Russian text, say various types of Russian words, and responding to Russian comments of the students, all in the presence of the said colleague.There were sloganeering in his name as well.

Speaking with DU Beat, NSUI member Namrata Jeph said, 

“The students’ grievances about the exam delay were valid although this situation led the dean to decide to resign may have crossed the ethical boundaries. Ultimately, this incident could serve as a catalyst for improving administrative transparency and student- faculty communication within DU.”

According to the dean, the unfortunate incident has now “created a precedent wherein teachers could be physically and verbally harassed and made to submit resignations, that too with the active participation of a colleague from the Department.” 

Read Also: Dalit student allegedly harassed and assaulted by Shaheed Bhagat Singh College’s principal. 

Featured Image Credits: Devesh for DU Beat 

Ashita Kedia

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DUB Speak

DUSU 2024: An Election in Waiting

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Characteristic of DUSU elections, the DUSU elections for the session 2024–25 were also a display of money and muscle power, tearing up of nomination forms, and a rather irreverent attitude towards the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines for the elections. The emergence of identity-based parties, an SFI-AISA alliance, and the Delhi HC directive to postpone counting of votes augur major changes. Despite this, the voter turnout remained abysmally low at 35.2%, the lowest of the past 4 elections, and from what students claim, this reduction seems to be manufactured by the administration. 

 

Slated to start its counting post the 21st of this month after the court hearing scheduled on the same date, this year’s DUSU elections were different from all previous elections. From the alliance between the Left and the emergence of identity-based parties like Ambedkar Students’ Association (ASA) and Fraternity Movement in DUSU to the last moment introduction of special buses, the inauguration and removal of a miniature Ambedkar statue by the DUSU, and eleventh hour changes in presidential candidates of major parties, this election saw it all and was, by far, one of the most happening elections of all times. Despite these developments, it seems unlikely to have such a low voter turnout. Though the hostile nature of the campus during elections and the rather short time frame for voting discourage a lot of students, especially female students, and thus, voter turnout appeared unnaturally low. 

 

According to Hindustan Times, the voter turnout for this year was 35.2%. It is important to remember how the voter turnout is calculated in order to understand the trends for this election, as the figure measures the number of votes cast as a percentage of the eligible voters rather than the number of voters who come to their institutions to cast votes. It is the gap between the number of eligible voters who show up on the day of voting and the number of votes cast, reflecting the number of voters who were unable to cast their vote despite showing up on the day of elections. While this gap has emerged in the previous elections too, it seems to have widened rapidly in this election, making it seem ‘manufactured’ by the administration to decrease the number of votes cast, as per the claims of the students. This gap was exacerbated by issuing last-minute notices in several colleges that set out the eligibility criteria to vote in the elections and made students stand in long queues in administrative offices on the day of voting, to update their ID cards that took hours, leading to situations where the voters were unable to cast their vote past, despite their early arrival in college. Further, in several colleges, only a handful of polling booths were allotted for the entire institution despite the availability of more polling booths, making 1000s of eligible voters poll from a single booth. These booths were also changed at the last moment, creating confusion around the venue for voting.

 

A third-year student from Ramjas College notes:

I couldn’t vote because I was 2 minutes late. There was a big jam on the campus, and no auto was able to make it through, and as soon as I got to the college gate, they didn’t let us in. I waited there for a while to enter, and as soon as I did, there was so much confusion with the venue of the voting; some said the auditorium, and some said other classes. When I finally found the classroom, they didn’t let me join the line as I was 2 minutes late. The faculty was rude, and they were shouting at us without listening to a word we said. I wasn’t the only one who was left out, and there were a lot of other students as well.

 

Though several colleges had sent out last-minute notices about verification of fee slips and upgradation of ID cards for all voters, in stark contrast, it turns out that at several institutions, the faculty was not checking whether the ID cards of students had been upgraded. 

 

Another third-year student from Ramjas notes:

Though the college had notified students to verify their ID cards, several students, including me, were only asked about our courses and year of study and were allowed to vote even regardless of whether our ID cards were updated or not. The faculty members at the polling booths were not following the rules as a lot of students were in the queue to vote. While I was voting, the DUSU presidential candidate of a major political party entered our booth and was openly campaigning, and no faculty members present in the booth stopped him, despite this being a clear violation of the guidelines. They rather allowed him to speak.

 

Though bureaucratic mismanagement and chaos are natural in such a large election, a lot of the aforementioned incidents seem deliberate and conscious attempts to dissuade students from voting. Even while the students were verifying their ID cards, the candidates were openly campaigning and helping those in queue using their contacts in the college administration to get their ID cards verified faster to garner more votes. This ensures that only a selective and chosen crowd gets to vote in the elections, and a large crowd of students is not allowed to exercise their right to vote despite their attempts to do so.

 

A student from Miranda House notes the manufactured chaos in the order of voting in the elections:

Students remember the ballot numbers of each candidate, and that’s how polling booths are supposed to work. In Miranda House, in the initial phase when the elections started, the order of positions in the polling booth was informed to us as President, followed by Vice President, Secretary, and the Joint-Secretary but later on, as the elections went forward, they altered the position. The Joint-Secretary’s position was moved to the first, and the President’s position was moved to the last in the polling booth which caused a lot of confusion among students because that is not how you come memorising the numbers.

 

Though bureaucratic mismanagement led to a further decrease of voter turnout, the developments in this year’s elections will have a long-term impact. With the strict action taken by the Delhi High Court to ensure that counting doesn’t begin until public defacement is removed, it could potentially tamper with the results but might result in lesser defacement and a violation of rules next year. Further, the directive to ensure 50% reservation of women in DUSU would also have a positive impact. In terms of party politics, sudden changes in candidates of major parties post-nominations and the withdrawal of community support following the same might lead to a reflection about the role of caste politics in DUSU. The emergence of identity-based parties and the alliance among the Left would also ensure that the ABVP-NSUI binary is challenged in the upcoming years.

 

Read Also: Under the Shadow of DUSU Elections: A Stage for Sexual Harassment and Caste-based Politics

 

Picture Credits: Nehal for DU Beat

 

 

Vedant Nagrani

[email protected]

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