Vote counting for the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections began at 8 am today at the Multipurpose Hall of the University Sports Stadium in North Campus, a day after polling recorded a three-year high voter turnout of 40.46 per cent.
Polling was held in two phases on September 18 using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), with 960 of the 1,000 machines arranged for the election put into use. A total of 20 candidates from major student groups, including the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and the AISA-SFI alliance, are contesting for four central panel posts: President, Vice-President, Secretary and Joint Secretary.
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Key presidential contenders include Yash Dabas (ABVP), Vijay Shankar Meena (NSUI), and Ananya Raturi (AISA-SFI). Ahead of the central panel results, the ABVP claimed clean sweeps in several college unions, including Shivaji College and Aditi Mahavidyalaya. "The polling process commenced after all the contesting students inspected the EVMs," the official said, reported Hindustan Times.
The election drew a strong response from students, with long queues seen at polling centres as first-time voters turned up to cast their ballots. Safety, hostel availability, placements, menstrual leave and housing emerged as key concerns, with the recent Satya Niketan building collapse adding to tension over student safety and accommodation.
Security was tightly enforced across the university, particularly around the Arts Faculty area. Over 2,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed, supported by overhead drone surveillance.
According to Additional DCP (North) Pukhraj K Gupta, the campus was divided into 5 zones and 23 sectors with dedicated checkpoints. While minor clashes between ABVP and NSUI workers outside Hansraj College were swiftly defused, visible violations of Lyngdoh Committee guidelines occurred, including littering of campaign materials and party stickers.
Following strict enforcement of election norms, the Delhi High Court ordered a complete ban on victory processions after the final declaration of results.
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A minor confrontation erupted outside Hansraj College when rival ABVP and NSUI activists engaged in aggressive slogan-shouting. Prompt police intervention quickly separated the groups and restored calm, leaving enthusiastic first-time voters to wait out the heat in orderly queues.
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