DUSU Election Results 2025: Counting underway as ABVP eyes victory amid allegations of malpractice

Vote counting began at 8:00 AM at the Multipurpose Hall of University Sports Stadium, North Campus, with officials indicating the process may extend to 18-20 rounds before final results are declared.

Key Candidates and Electoral Stakes

Three main candidates are vying for the coveted president's post: Aryan Maan from the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Joslyn Nandita Choudhary from the Congress-backed National Students' Union of India (NSUI), and Anjali from the Left Union alliance (SFI-AISA). A total of 21 candidates contested across four key positions - President, Vice President, Secretary, and Joint Secretary.

ABVP's Historical Dominance: In the last five DUSU elections, ABVP has secured the president's position three times, demonstrating its strong influence in campus politics. The organization also won the Vice President, Secretary, and Joint Secretary positions in three of the last five elections. However, NSUI's Raunak Khatri broke this trend in 2024, becoming president and marking NSUI's first presidential victory since 2017.

Election Day Marred by Violence and Allegations

Voting on September 18 was overshadowed by serious incidents of violence and electoral malpractice allegations. The most significant clash occurred at Kirori Mal College, where NSUI and ABVP workers engaged in physical confrontations. ABVP alleged that current DUSU President Raunak Khatri entered the college premises with outsiders and assaulted students.

Allegations of Vote Tampering: NSUI candidate Joslyn Nandita Choudhary made serious accusations of electoral fraud, claiming that ink had been marked in front of ABVP presidential candidate Aryan Maan's name on all Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). NSUI released photographic evidence purportedly showing the alleged tampering. The party also accused ABVP workers of assaulting NSUI supporters and attempting to rig the elections.

Counter-Allegations by ABVP: The ABVP dismissed NSUI's claims as "baseless frustration," with Delhi secretary Sarthak Sharma stating that NSUI was "blaming EVMs like Congress does after every defeat". ABVP filed a police complaint against Raunak Khatri for allegedly entering Kirori Mal College forcibly with outsiders.

Revolutionary Campaign Changes: No-Poster Elections

This year's DUSU elections marked a historic shift toward environmental consciousness. For the first time in years, the university enforced strict anti-defacement rules, permitting only handmade posters for campaigning. Printed posters, hoardings, and wall graffiti were completely banned. This "clean and green" approach came after the 2024 elections left the campus littered with printed materials, prompting the Delhi High Court to halt result announcements until students cleaned up.

The change was welcomed by students, with Sumit Singh of Hansraj College noting that compared to last year's cluttered campus filled with posters and pamphlets, "This year felt very refreshing".

Electoral Statistics and Participation

Voter turnout reached 39.45 percent, a marginal improvement from last year's 35 percent but still below 2023's 42 percent. Over 2.75 lakh students across 52 colleges were eligible to vote, with polling conducted in two phases - 8:30 AM to 1 PM for day scholars and 3 PM to 7:30 PM for evening college students.

The voting process utilized 711 Electronic Voting Machines deployed across 195 polling stations. Enhanced security measures included deployment of over 600 police personnel, with 160 officers equipped with body cameras, extensive CCTV coverage, and drone surveillance.

Candidate Profiles and Campaign Promises

Aryan Maan (ABVP): Hailing from Bahadurgarh, Haryana, the Hansraj College graduate and current Library Science master's student focused his campaign on student welfare and infrastructure development. His key promises include subsidized metro passes, free campus Wi-Fi, accessibility audits for disabled students, upgraded sports facilities, and financial assistance for final-year research scholars

Joslyn Nandita Choudhary (NSUI): A postgraduate Buddhist Studies student from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, centered her campaign on addressing hostel shortages, improving campus safety, and advocating for menstrual leave for students. Her candidacy marked NSUI's first female presidential nominee in nearly two decades.

Anjali (SFI-AISA Alliance): The Indraprastha College for Women student from Bihar's Gaya district focused on gender sensitization, rollback of fee hikes, and strengthening grievance redressal mechanisms. Her campaign emphasized issues particularly relevant to female students and marginalized communities.