DUSU Polls: ABVP Clinches 3 Major Posts; NSUI Settles For 1
ABVP won three of the four posts in the Delhi University Students Union Elections 2018.
Questioning the Delhi University over its alleged silence on the procurement of EVMs used in DUSU elections, the Congress on Friday, 14 September demanded that fresh DUSU elections to be held with ballot papers.
On 13 September, The RSS-backed ABVP candidates Ankiv Baisoya, Shakti Singh and Jyoti Chaudhary have won the posts of president, vice president and joint secretary, while Congress' student wing NSUI’s Akash Choudhary settled for the post of secretary.
The leads are as follows:
- ABVP’s Ankiv Baisoya won the post of president by a margin of 1,744 votes
- ABVP’s Shakti Singh bagged the post of vice-president by a margin of 8,046 votes
- NSUI’s Aakash Choudhary settled for the position of secretary. He won by a margin of 6,089 votes
- ABVP’s Jyoti Chaudhary won the post of joint secretary by a margin of 4,972 votes
The CYSS-AISA alliance was not able to bag any seats. AAP’s student wing CYSS had made a re-entry after two years of inactivity.
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NSUI Demands Cancellation of Nomination of ABVP Vice President Candidate
NSUI on 12 September demanded cancellation of nomination of ABVP vice-president candidate, Shakti Singh, for indulging in violence, NDTV reported.
According to reports, NSUI alleged that Shakti Singh entered the campus with a group of outsiders and terrorised the entire Zakir Hussain College on 10 September.
ABVP national media convenor Monika Chaudhary denied such allegations.
All Set For DUSU Elections: Major Players
All set for the Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) elections on 12 September which will be conducted following the prescribed university guidelines. Major student-wings contesting for DUSU polls are RSS backed – Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Congress’ student wing – National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and Students Federation of India (SFI) of Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). The Aam Aadmi Party backed – Chatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) will be aligning with All India Students’ Association (AISA).
Voting Begins in Morning Colleges
Voting began in morning colleges at 8.30 am, CNN News18 reported.
23 candidates are in the fray in the DUSU elections.
Scuffle Broke Out on 6 September Over Campaigning: Reports
On 6 September, a group associated with the ABVP, had a scuffle among themselves over DUSU elections campaigning. CNN News18, quoted sources as saying that the two groups attacked each other with sticks and knives, leaving at least five people injured.
NSUI, ABVP Campaign for Votes on Twitter
The NSUI and ABVP urged students to vote for them, sharing tweets from representatives of their parent parties, the Congress and BJP, respectively.
ABVP Releases Sports Manifesto for Delhi University
The ABVP re;eased their sports manifesto plan for the development of Delhi University’s infrastructure to be more sports-friendly.
Meet the Candidates: ABVP
The ABVP is fielding Ankiv Baisoya from Department of Buddhist Studies for President, Shakti Singh from Law Studies - II for Vice President Sudhir from Department of Buddhist Studies for General Secretary and Jyoti Chaudhary from Department of Buddhist Studies for Joint Secretary.
Meet the Candidates: NSUI
The NSUI is fielding Sunny Chillar from Shivaji College for President, Leena from Department of Buddhist Studies for Vice President, Aakash Choudhary from Campus Law Centre for General Secretary and Saurabh Yadav from Motlial Nehru College for Joint Secretary.
Senior Faculty Stationed at 52 Voting Centres
Senior members of faculty have been posted at the 52 voting centres across Delhi University to ensure fair voting practices, NDTV reported.
Pinjra Tod Tweets About Exclusion of Women from DU
The Pinjra Tod movement issued a slamming the DUSU elections, stating that only five women’s colleges participate in the elections, out of 17.
“This exclusion is glorified by the administration and often even agreed to by many students given the hostile nature of the dominant representation of DUSU politics. What it does though is further isolate students & on the other hand make DUSU unaccountable towards them,” the statement
Students Line Up to Cast Votes
Students from different colleges queued up to cast their votes in the first half of the day.
'I'd Rather Vote NOTA than For Any of These Parties, They Change Nothing'
“I haven’t seen any change in four years. So I’ll vote NOTA. No matter which party wins the election, nothing changes,” Prateek Singh, a student of Campus Law Centre says.
“I voted for AISA in my first year. But the AISA-CYSS (AAP-backed) alliance seems less like a heartfelt alliance and more like a deal for the sake of a deal,” Prateek adds.
'Candidates Must Work to Address Issues, Not Towards Party Loyalties'
“Winning candidates should work to address issues, not to please their parties,” another student from Campus Law Centre told The Quint.
'Accomodation, Sanitation, Students' Safety All Important Issues'
Apart from students’ safety, which is top priority, sanitation, accomodation, and the issue of allowing entry to outsiders, are all important issues in this election, students said to The Quint.
'We Are Disillusioned with the Parties'
A surprising number of students said they would select the None of The Above (NOTA) option while voting in the 2018 DUSU Elections, citing parties’ reliance on polarisation and promises which went unfulfilled.
However, another section of students have urged their fellow students to vote, adding that they can’t expect change if they didn’t vote.
Voter Disillusionment at All-Time High
The Quint found that voter disillusionment with the parties – and the DUSU elections themselves – is at an all-time high.
Voting Percentages Till 1:30 pm
Around 50 percent voter turnout recorded in Delhi University colleges:
Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College: 51 percent
Rajdhani College: 51.92 percent
Venkateshwara College: 50 percent
Aryabhatta College: 43.9 percent
DUSU Polls Gauge the Mood of Young Voters: Students
Students who voted in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls on Wednesday, 12 September, said the results will help political parties gauge the mood of young voters ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, reported PTI.
Prakhar Yadav, a second year student of BA (Hons) in Hindi at Hansraj College, said the results of the DUSU polls will indicate which side the young voter is supporting and will help political parties prepare accordingly.
Defacement of Public Property Polls Continues, Delhi HC Takes Cognisance
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday was informed that political leaders are involved in the defacement of public property during the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections.
The bench directed the police, the municipal bodies and Delhi University to file reports indicating the extent of defacement, the steps that were taken to prevent it and action taken against each candidate who violated the law.
Counting Halted on Account of EVM Glitch
The Quint’s on-ground correspondent reports that vote counting has been halted for over 45 minutes now, on account of a technical glitch in the Electronic Voting Machines.
NSUI Leading for President's Post, ABVP Leading for Other Three Posts
As per the most recent trends, the NSUI is in the lead for the President’s position, while the ABVP’s candidates are reportedly in the lead for the posts of Vice President, Secretary, and Joint Secretary.
ABVP: NSUI Leads for President, But We're Sure We'll Win All Seats
"The inside news is that NSUI is leading in the seats for President and ABVP is leading in the race for the other three seats but we will win all four seats, I am confident about it." Monika Chaudhary, National Media in charge, ABVP said to The Quint.
“We have faith that we’ll win all four seats. It’s DU’s students’ mandate that NSUI come to power, because of the work we’ve done for them over the years,” NSUI’s National Coordinator Laraib Neyazi said to The Quint.
NSUI Leading for President and Secretary Posts, ABVP for Vice President and Joint Secy
NSUI’s Sunny Chillar and Aakash Choudhary are in the lead for President and Secretary, respectively. ABVP’s Shakti Singh and Jyoti Chaudhary are in the lead for Vice President and Joint Secretary respectively.
- Sunny Chillar - President - NSUI
- Shakti Singh - Vice President - ABVP
- Aakash Choudhary - Secretary - NSUI
- Jyoti Chaudhary - Joint Secretary - ABVP
NSUI Alleges Interference to Make Them Lose, Raises Slogans of 'DU Prashasan Murdabad'
The National Students Union of India (NSUI) has alleged that external interference has taken place to make them lose the elections, and are now raising slogans of, “DU Prashasan Murdabad.”
Counting of Votes Suspended, 6 EVMs Found Faulty
Counting of votes has been suspended till further notice, after six EVMs were reportedly found to be faulty, Navbharat Times reported.
Protests at DU After Vote Count Suspension, Six EVMs Found Faulty
Protests broke out in Delhi University following the suspension of vote counting after six EVMs were found to be faulty.
Fix the EVM Issues and Resume Counting of Votes Today: NSUI
“We want these issues to be resolved and counting of votes to be completed today itself,” the NSUI said.
Counting of Votes Suspended, No Results Today
Delhi University administration has confirmed that vote counting has been halted for the day after six EVMs were found to be faulty, and that results will not be announced today. Students are now making their representations to the administration.
Protests Over Suspension of Vote Counting
After counting of votes was suspended, protests broke out against the DU administration.
ABVP Demands Counting of Votes Resume Today
ABVP issued a statement claiming that they were in the lead for the four seats, and demanded that counting of votes resume today.
Counting of Votes to Resume Soon, Police on Standby
PTI reported that the counting of votes, which was suspended because of faulty EVMs, will resume in half an hour. Meanwhile police are on standby in the event of clashes or violence. Meanwhile, former JNUSU Vice President issued a statement questioning the legitimacy of the election process.
Counting of Votes Resumes, NSUI Issues Statement, Police on Standby
The counting of votes resumed in Delhi University after being halted in the afternoon. Ten rounds of counting remain. The NSUI continued their protest against the DU administration.
Meanwhile, the NSUI issued a statement, calling the faulty EVMs halting counting, the “culmination of highly biased/partisan behaviour being carried out by the DU administration at the behest of the BJP/ABVP.” Read the full statement below.
ABVP Claims to Be Leading in Three Posts
Speaking to The Quint, ABVP’s media coordinator has said that their party is leading in 3 out of the 4 posts, except that of the Secretary.
12 rounds of counting have been completed, while four rounds still remains.
Close Competition Between NSUI & ABVP
NSUI’s Sunny Chillar and Aakash Choudhary are in the lead for President and Secretary, respectively. ABVP’s Shakti Singh and Jyoti Chaudhary are in the lead for Vice President and Joint Secretary respectively.
Election Commission Distances Itself From EVMs Used During Polls
Election Commission Officer, Manoj Kumar has distanced itself from the EVMs used during DUSU elections.
Speaking to ANI, Kumar said, “EVMs haven't been issued/allotted to Delhi University by this office. It was also confirmed from State Election Commission that no such machines have been given by them too. It seems that Delhi University has procured these machines privately.”
ABVP Wins President, VP; NSUI Gets Secretary
The RSS-backed ABVP candidates Ankiv Baisoya, Shakti Singh and Jyoti Chaudhary have won the posts of president, vice president and joint secretary, while Congress' student wing NSUI’s Akash Choudhary settled for the post of secretary.
The vote count is as follows:
President:
- Ankiv Baisoya (ABVP): 20,467
- Sunny Chillar (NSUI): 18,723
- Won by: 1,744
Vice-President:
- Shakti Singh (ABVP): 23,046
- Leena (NSUI): 15,000
- Won by: 8,046
Secretary:
- Aakash Choudhary (NSUI): 20,198
- Sudhir (ABVP): 14,109
- Won by: 6,089
Joint Secretary
- Jyoti Chaudhary (ABVP): 19,353
- Saurabh Yadav (NSUI): 14,381
- Won by: 4,972
Students Celebrate After ABVP's Win
Video: ABVP Clinches Three Major Posts
Union Minister JP Nadda Congratulates ABVP Candidates
Results Don't Show the Mood of the Nation: NSUI
Speaking to The Quint, NSUI’s Akshay Lakra said, “I don't agree that this shows the mood of the students, everyone could see that the students were favouring NSUI. We have won the max seats in colleges and the post of secretary.”
BJP Chief Amit Shah Congratulates the Students
Amit Shah hails ABVP’s win as a verdict against divisive and opportunistic politics.
DUSU President-Elect Vows to Fulfill Promises
The ABVP candidates who won the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections Thursday celebrated their victory and vowed to fulfil the promises made in their manifesto even as the sole NSUI winner alleged cheating in the results.
ABVP's Ankiv Basoya, who won the president's post is pursuing MA in Buddhist Studies.
"Our election manifesto said we would dedicate 50 per cent of the DUSU budget to women safety, so I will now work towards making the campus safer for women," he said.
He has been associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad since 2015.
Congress Demands Fresh DUSU Polls with Ballot Papers
Questioning the Delhi University over its alleged silence on the procurement of EVMs used in DUSU elections, the Congress on Friday, 14 September demanded that fresh DUSU elections to be held with ballot papers.
The party also questioned the poll panel over "privately sourced EVMs" used in the student body elections, adding that its demand for the last two years on the use of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails in DUSU elections had been ignored.
(IANS)