ABVP wins three DUSU posts, NSUI one like last year

Repeating last year's show, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parsihad (ABVP) has bagged three Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) posts, leaving only one for the National Students Union of India (NSUI). The poll results were announced on Friday.

The ABVP, the RSS-affiliated students organisation, won the posts of president, vice-president and joint secretary. The NSUI, the student wing of the Congress, could win only the secretary's post.

ABVP's presidential candidate Akshit Dhaiya received over 29,685 votes against 10,646 votes garnered by Chetna Tyagi of the NSUI. For the post of vice-president, Pradeep Tanwar of the ABVP defeated his closet rival Ankit Bharti by a margin of 8,574 votes. Tanwar received 19,858 votes.

For the DUSU secretary's post, NSUI's Ashish Lamba defeated ABVP's Yogit Rathee by a little over 2,000 votes. Lamba received 20,934 votes against Rathee's 18,881 votes.

Reacting to the results, NSUI state president Akshay Lakra said, the ABVP had fielded Rathee, Ramjas College president during the violence there in 2017. "The students have given a clear mandate against violence," Lakra said.

For the joint-secretary's post, the ABVP's Shivani Karwal defeated the NSUI's Abhishek Chaprana by 2,914 votes. Karwal won 17,234 votes against Chaprana's 14,320 votes.

The vote count began at the Community Hall of the Police Lines in northwest Delhi's Kingsway Camp two hours later than the scheduled time of 8.30 a.m. as the candidates turned up late.

As soon as the results were announced, celebrations broke out outside the counting centre with supporters dancing on drum beats. Rose petals were also showered on the winners.

The winners wearing garlands proceeded to the varsity's Arts Faculty, from where they took out a victory march.

Over 1.3 lakh students were eligible to vote in the polls. As many as 144 EVMs were used for DUSU polls and 137 for college union elections.

Polling began on Thursday morning colleges at 9.30 am and ended at 1 pm, while in evening colleges it commenced at 3 pm and ended at 7.30 pm.IANS