New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Saturday urged the Delhi University administration to declare the results of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections immediately.
In a press conference here at the student union’s headquarters, the ABVP leaders argued that delaying the results undermines student representation.
The counting of votes, originally scheduled for Saturday, was stalled following a Delhi High Court order earlier this week.
On Friday, a senior DU official indicated that the announcement of the DUSU election results is likely to be delayed until October 21, when the court is set to hear the matter.
The court had directed DU to withhold the counting until all posters, banners, and defacement of public property on the campus were cleared.
The court has also directed Delhi University to pay for the expenses incurred by the civic authorities, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), government departments and Delhi Metro, for restoring the public property noting that the varsity would have the right to recover the amount from the candidates thereafter.
Addressing the press, ABVP National General Secretary Yagyavalkya Shukla said, “It is essential that the DUSU election results be declared as soon as possible. Student unions have long been a powerful platform for addressing issues related to education and youth, and delaying the results compromises this.” He added that various stakeholders, including student groups, were not consulted during the court proceedings, and that reforms to the student union election process should be aligned with contemporary needs.
Shukla criticised the election regulations, stating that the rule allowing candidates to spend only Rs 5,000 in campaigns is unreasonable in an election with 1,50,000 voters. He also accused the student wing of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of attempting to discredit the DUSU elections after facing two consecutive defeats.
ABVP National Secretary Shivangi Kharwal called for the formation of a high-level committee to review and recommend reforms in the student election process.
“This committee should include former vice-chancellors, educationists, student union leaders, and representatives from student organisations to ensure that all stakeholders’ perspectives are taken into account,” she said.
Harsh Atri, ABVP’s Delhi State Secretary, also raised concerns over efforts to halt student elections across various academic institutions.
“While elections are being held in multiple bodies nationwide, attempts are being made to stop student union elections in educational institutions with flawed arguments. The focus should be on reforms, not shutting down student unions,” Atri said.
Rishabh Chaudhary, ABVP’s presidential candidate for the DUSU elections, highlighted previous initiatives such as “One Day, One DUSU President” and emphasised the need for training both teaching and non-teaching staff to improve the election process. PTI SJJ HIG HIG
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