DUSU Elections 2023: Counting of votes in Delhi University Students Union election underway
Vote counting for the DUSU elections in Delhi University began. Results for all four central panel positions expected soon. 24 candidates competing. 42% voter turnout. ABVP and NSUI claim wins in multiple colleges. Concerns include rising fees and affordable housing.
Vote counting for the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections commenced on Saturday, and the outcomes for all four central panel positions – president, vice-president, secretary, and joint secretary – are anticipated to be disclosed shortly.
A total of 24 candidates are competing in these elections. Security has been tightened in the North Campus area of Delhi University ahead of the counting of votes for the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections today.
The last DUSU elections took place in 2019. These elections were not conducted in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and potential interruptions to the academic schedule hindered their organization in 2022.
Chander Shekhar, the chief election officer overseeing these elections, disclosed that the voter turnout at the university stood at 42 percent. Approximately one hundred thousand students were eligible to cast their votes in the election.
Although this voting percentage was slightly higher than the 2019 turnout of 39.90 percent, it did not exceed the nearly 11-year-high recorded in 2018. In 2018 and 2017, the voter turnout figures were 44.46 percent and 42.8 percent, respectively, PTI reported.
Elections for the central panel took place at 52 colleges and departments using electronic voting machines (EVMs), while the college union polls employed paper ballots.
Among the student body, key concerns spanned issues such as rising fees, a shortage of affordable housing options, increased security measures during college events, and the availability of menstrual leaves.
For various groups affiliated with political parties, these elections serve as a means to assess the sentiments of young voters. This year's elections hold particular importance as they were conducted just a few months before the Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress-linked National Students' Union of India (NSUI) has asserted its victory in union elections at 17 day colleges, whereas the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has declared wins in 34 colleges.
The ABVP, NSUI, Students' Federation of India (SFI) associated with the CPI(M), and All India Students' Association (AISA) linked to the CPI(ML)-Liberation had each put forth candidates for all four central panel positions. In the 2019 elections, the ABVP secured victory in three out of the four positions.
DUSU serves as the primary representative organization for the majority of colleges and academic departments within the university. Additionally, each individual college conducts its own annual student union elections.
(With inputs from PTI)
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First Published:23 Sep 2023, 10:27 AM IST
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