Campus turns carnival: DUSU polls bring colour, crowds and painted flags

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Campaigning for the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections turned the North Campus into a carnival-like scene on Tuesday, with students painting their own flyers, posters and flags after restrictions were imposed on printed material this year.

"From pocket-sized cards with party names to massive flags on SUVs and posters pasted on e-rickshaws and cars, it is everywhere. Students themselves are painting them," said Kaushiki, a second-year student of Miranda House.

Nivedita from Hindu College described the atmosphere as festive. "It feels like a huge festival here," she said.

The campaigning has also moved into classrooms and social media. "They come to our classes and ask for votes, and then tell us to follow the candidates and the party accounts on Instagram to keep track of their promises," said Aditi, a Kirori Mal College student.

At tea stalls and mobile points, groups of students were seen huddled together discussing the polls. "Candidates have been coming to us, telling us what they plan to do if elected, and requesting our support," said Rohit, a political science student from Hindu College.

"It is not just inside the campus. The roads outside are blocked almost throughout the day with cars and bikes carrying party flags. It is very noisy but also very exciting," added Ananya, a first-year student of Kirori Mal College.

"Every election season feels like a festival. Suddenly, you see all these luxury cars you would never see otherwise, plastered with stickers of candidates' names," said Rahul Sharma, a student of Hindu College.

"Even though posters and printed material are banned, you still get plenty of campaign cards. On my way to college, I ended up with at least four or five from different candidates," he said.

Another student from Kirori Mal College, Neha Yadav, said the campaigning often spills into classrooms and hostels.

"They walk into lectures and interrupt teachers to ask for votes. Then at night, they go to PGs and hold meetings like professional politicians, promising big changes if they come to power. Freebies are common too — chocolates, pizzas, burgers." Traffic snarls stretched for several kilometres, with key roads in and around the campus clogged almost around the clock as campaign vehicles, from e-rickshaws to Thars and other SUVs, carried students with flags and party slogans.

As of now, the North Campus is free of any kind of defacement after the varsity administration laid down strict guidelines for this year's polls.

The DUSU elections for 2025–26 are scheduled for September 18, and counting will be held the next day. This year’s elections are expected to be conducted under strict measures against defacement and in line with the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee.

Last year, the Delhi High Court had withheld the counting of votes over defacement of public property during campaigning and allowed it to go ahead only after the defaced properties were cleaned, noting its intention was to "reform, not punish". PTI SGV MHS HIG