New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) A 36-per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first phase of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls on Friday, with the ABVP and the NSUI squared off in a keen contest and the AISA-SFI alliance also in the fray.
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 at evening colleges continued till 7:30 pm.
The DUSU election witnessed a closely-watched contest among the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (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.
The ABVP alleged that an NSUI worker was caught distributing an incorrect ABVP panel number shortly before voting, while NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar alleged that a former national secretary of the organisation was detained by police without any reason during the student union election.
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 have erected barricades outside colleges and were frisking students to avoid any untoward incident.
The outcome of the polls will be known on Saturday.
A university official said more than 2,000 police and paramilitary personnel have been 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.
Kriti Kumar, a second-year student of the Ramjas College, said, “The cost of studying in the DU is no longer limited to fees. Rent, food, transport and other expenses add up quickly. We want the DUSU to take up the everyday financial pressures faced by students, especially those who come to Delhi from other states.” She said metro concession has featured in student organisations’ manifestos for years and should now be properly addressed. Students also sought measures to ease the financial burden on those coming to Delhi from other states and improve basic campus facilities.
A total of 1,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) have been deployed for the election. Of these, 960 will be used for polling, while 40 have been kept in reserve, according to university officials.
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.
“Once polling concludes, the EVMs will be securely transported by police to the Multipurpose Hall of the University Sports Stadium in North Campus. The machines will be opened at the time of counting on Saturday,” Sharma said. PTI SHB AHD MSJ RC
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