Student outfits start preparations for DUSU polls; elections likely on September 27, says Registrar

Delhi University student union elections preparations underway, ABVP and NSUI interacting with students, focusing on key issues.

Preparations for the student union elections at Delhi University began this week with the administration appointing Satyapal Singh, a professor with the Department of Sanskrit, as the Chief Election Officer, and various student groups starting their outreach drives.

“As of now, we intend to conduct the elections on September 27,” said Registrar Vikas Gupta.

A member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-linked Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which won three out of the four posts in the last Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls, including that of president, said they are interacting with the new batch of undergraduate students as part of their outreach programme.

“Our cadres are telling the new students about our work. We are also trying to understand some of the major issues that they are facing. An internal committee will soon be formed, and we will announce the list of probable candidates,” said Ashutosh Singh, ABVP’s national media coordinator.

He said the key issue that has come to their notice is fee hike.

Ashish Lamba, the State president of the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India, said, “Our members have started going to colleges. We are telling students about all the promises that the ABVP made and did not fulful.” He added that once the nomination dates are announced, they will begin preparing their manifestos and finalising the candidates.

Mr. Lamba added that demands such as a special pass for DU students for the metro, better hostel infrastructure, and menstrual leave have featured prominently in their interactions, in addition to a demand for standardised fees across courses.