35% turnout in DUSU polls till 2:30 pm; ABVP, NSUI trade charges of malpractice

New Delhi: Voting for the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections recorded around 35 per cent turnout till 2:30 pm on Thursday, even as the contest saw the two main contenders -- the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) -- trade allegations of malpractice.

Chief Election Officer Raj Kishore Sharma told PTI, "Voting is going on in most of the colleges and the data we have received from seven colleges till now has a voting per cent of 35 per cent. We can say largely this would be the trend in most of the colleges, going by past year's record."

DU's Miranda House witnessed an inspiring display of democratic participation as more than 60 per cent of its 5,000 students cast their votes.

Polling is being conducted in two phases - from 8:30 am to 1 pm for day classes and 3 pm to 7:30 pm for evening classes.

Around 2.8 lakh students are eligible to vote in the elections, the results for which will be declared on September 19.

Delhi Police has deployed more than 600 personnel, with 160 of them equipped with body cameras, alongside CCTV surveillance and drones to ensure smooth polling.

For the first time in years, the university is witnessing what many students called "clean and green elections", with strict enforcement of the Lyngdoh Committee's anti-defacement guidelines.

"Last year, the roads were so full of posters and pamphlets that you could barely see them. This year feels very refreshing," said Sumit Singh of Hansraj College.

At Kirori Mal College, first-time voter Anjali compared the atmosphere to bigger elections. "This is the first time I have voted in any kind of election. There is so much security, almost like state Assembly or Lok Sabha polls. It feels good to be part of this process," she said.

Kamal, a second-year law student, linked the improved atmosphere to judicial oversight. "The Delhi High Court's directions have helped curb defacement and outside interference. Last year, results were even stayed for two months. That intervention has improved DU's image," he noted.

Meanwhile, the day saw sharp exchanges between rival student groups. The NSUI accused the ABVP of "vote manipulation" at Kirori Mal, Hindu and Hansraj colleges, alleging that "the RSS-BJP backed ABVP is attempting to undermine the democratic spirit of DU elections."

NSUI president Varun Choudhary demanded rejection of ABVP's presidential candidate's nomination, calling the incidents "systematic vote chori".

The ABVP dismissed the allegations as "frustration" and claimed it was set to sweep all four seats. "The NSUI is no longer in the race for second but struggling for third place," ABVP Delhi secretary Sarthak Sharma said, adding that the rival group was "blaming EVMs like the Congress does after every loss."

ABVP supporters also alleged that current DUSU president and NSUI leader Ronak Khatri entered Kirori Mal College with outsiders and created a commotion.

Khatri, however, posted a video on X outside the college, countering that "the ABVP is pressuring students to cast their votes" and alleging "vote theft on campus since morning."

ये लड़की ख़ुद KMC कॉलेज की छात्रा नहीं है और कॉलेज के अंदर घुस कर मुझ पर हाथापाई करने का प्रयास किया और पिछले साल मिरांडा के बाहर भी हाथापाई की।#DusuElections2025pic.twitter.com/fv6mSN1VjX

— Ronak Khatri (@ronak_khatrii) September 18, 2025

As voting continued in the evening shift, students and officials alike hoped the mix of stricter enforcement, high security and judicial monitoring would set a benchmark for fairer campus elections in the years to come.