DUSU elections 2023: Delhi University most likely to hold student union elections in September; check details

By Team Newsable | First Published Mar 27, 2023, 4:48 PM IST

DUSU elections 2023: Delhi University will conduct students' union elections this September after a three-year gap, according to the varsity official. The most recent election to the student body was held in 2019.

According to a varsity official, Delhi University will likely conduct students' union elections this September, fulfilling a long-standing demand of student organisations.

The last student body elections were conducted in 2019. Due to COVID-19, students' union elections from taking place in 2020 and 2021 were not held, while potential disruptions to the academic calendar prevented them from taking place in 2022.

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Students' groups have requested university officials to resume the election process, as many elected representatives have departed the university after finishing their studies.

While talking to PTI, a top varsity official said, "We intend to hold elections in September. We are optimistic that the election will be held later this year."

The Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) is the main representative organisation of students from all colleges and faculties at Delhi University. Aside from that, each college has its own students' union, with elections conducted annually. Students from the varsity and member institutions vote directly in DUSU elections. They are typically held in August and September.

Elections to the varsity's student population are held concurrently with polls at the college level. Nearly 2,500 students run for the nearly 500 available positions. A lakh students vote in the elections, serving as a springboard for aspiring lawmakers.

DUSU president Akshit Dahiya praised the officials' efforts to conduct the elections, saying, "This is a mini democracy. I'd say it's the world's largest student council election. It is a beneficial practice."

"In September of 2019, the most recent elections were conducted. Last year's elections could not happen because the admission to graduate and postgraduate courses began late, and then there were examinations," he explained.

Candidates were supported by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in the 2019 elections, were Dahiya chosen as president, Pradeep Tanwar as vice president, and Shinvangi Kharwal joint secretary of the students' union. Ashish Lamba of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) was chosen as secretary.

Dahiya said that the ABVP had made several representations to university officials and conducted protests to demand elections. "We insisted that the academic calendar be restored to hold elections. University officials have assured us," he added.

The ABVP is hopeful and confident that their presence and participation in the admissions process and other events will aid them in winning this year's elections.

"Unlike the other student groups that become busy during election season, ours is unique. Throughout the year, we interact with the students and assist them in any way we can. That way, the students will know who works for them and who does not," Dahiya explained.

While the RSS-affiliated ABVP and the Congress-backed NSUI have long been major players in varsity politics, the All India Students' Association (AISA) has lately emerged as an important group.

The AISA, a leftwing students' group affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, has made strides in varsity politics in recent years, leading several protest movements.

While praising the university's election preparations, AISA's Delhi unit head Abhigyan told PTI that he hoped the university would work to limit undemocratic activities. "I hope it will be a free and fair election, and the university will work to make it more democratic by limiting the use of money," Abhigyan asserted.

He said that the organisation anticipated doing well in the elections. "Before 2014, the NSUI and the ABVP were the main groups," he explained, "but we have been working with students and leading several movements (since then)."

(With inputs from PTI)

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