New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) A 39.77-per cent voter turnout was recorded in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls till 8 pm on Friday, with the ABVP and the NSUI locked in a keen contest, months after a youth-centric protest at Jantar Mantar brought questions of accountability and student concerns into sharper focus.
The final voter-turnout data is yet to be released by the university. Last year, student elections across a majority of Delhi University (DU) colleges recorded a voter turnout of 39.45 per cent.
The counting of votes will begin at 8 am on Saturday, with the results of the prestigious DUSU polls set to offer an indication of which student group has best gauged the mood and concerns of the university’s students.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) won several college union polls across the DU on Friday, registering a clean sweep at the Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), winning the president and secretary posts along with both councillor seats.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated organisation said it has put up a strong show in the college elections, recording clean sweeps in several colleges, and expressed confidence in securing a 4-0 victory in the DUSU polls despite the efforts of the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
High rents at paying-guest accommodation, a lack of affordable lodging facilities, non-functional hostels and commuting costs emerged as key issues, as safety concerns have been heightened by a recent building collapse at Delhi’s Satya Niketan that claimed seven lives.
The DUSU polls were held months after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest. Accountability and student concerns featured in conversations around the DUSU polls, with voters saying they are looking more closely at what different student groups represent and the issues they seek to raise.
Polling for the morning shift began at 8:30 am and concluded at 3 pm, while voting in evening colleges continued till 7:30 pm.
The Delhi High Court on Friday ordered a complete ban on victory processions after the declaration of the DUSU election results, and asked all student organisations and candidates to explain why electoral damages should not be imposed on them for violation of norms.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia passed the directions after observing that there were frequent and blatant violations of the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations during the DUSU polls.
The polls saw campaign activities that appeared to violate several rules governing student elections, with printed pamphlets scattered around the North Campus, vehicle rallies and the distribution of campaign materials around the South Campus.
Around the North Campus, printed pamphlets bearing candidates’ names were scattered on roads and footpaths. People travelling in vehicles threw pamphlets, particularly around Chhatra Marg and near colleges, such as Kirori Mal and Hansraj, while students on motorcycles distributed candidate cards as they moved between colleges.
In the South Campus, SUVs and other vehicles moved around university roads as students campaigned for candidates.
The DUSU election witnessed a closely-watched contest among the ABVP, the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the AISA-SFI alliance for the four central panel posts — president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary.
Last year, the ABVP won three of the posts — president, secretary and general secretary — while the NSUI secured only the vice-presidential position.
As the polling was underway, the ABVP alleged that an NSUI worker was caught distributing an incorrect ABVP panel number shortly before voting, while NSUI president Vinod Jakhar alleged that a former national secretary of the organisation was detained by police without any reason.
Students said the CJP protest has changed the way some voters viewed participation in the election.
“Even though the CJP was not directly mentioned, it was part of many discussions. Students were talking about what organisations stand for, whether they agree with their politics and whether voting can give them a greater say in issues concerning students. There was a feeling that students should not simply vote because a particular organisation has always been influential on campus,” a student said.
Police erected barricades outside colleges and frisked students to avoid any untoward incident.
A university official said more than 2,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the North and South campuses.
Affordable and safe accommodation emerged as a key demand among students, along with functioning college hostels, affordable food and transport, concessions on metro fares and a more accessible university administration.
For many students, accommodation remains a pressing concern as rents in Delhi continue to add to the cost of pursuing higher education.
“Accommodation is the first and foremost demand. Rents are very high. Some DU colleges have hostels, but they either do not function properly or are closed. They should be reopened,” said Harsh Pandey, a first-year BCom student of the Motilal Nehru College.
A second-year BA Hindi (Honours) student of the Hansraj College said students called for a more accessible and student-friendly administration.
“Students come from different backgrounds and some take time to understand the systems here, so the administration should be more accessible. Students often get caught up in paperwork and administrative procedures even for issues such as medical leave,” the student said.
Chief Election Officer Raj Kishore Sharma said 12 control rooms would remain operational during polling and technical experts would be available to address any malfunction. PTI SHB AHD MSJ VBH BUN RC
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