DUSU results see restraint: rose petals, slogans but no chaos

New Delhi, Sep 19 (PTI) Unlike previous years when the DUSU poll results would turn the campus into a chaotic carnival, this year's celebrations were slightly muted.

Rose petals were showered on the winning candidate and slogans were raised, but the mood was marked by restraint — no posters flying in the air, and roads remained clean and silent till late afternoon.

Before and after the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) election results were announced, the atmosphere was quiet, with only a few bursts of celebration when the winning candidates arrived. Students gathered to raise slogans, cheer for their leaders, play the dhol and put flower garlands on them, filling the campus with energy and excitement.

However, unlike previous years, the celebrations were more restrained. Heavy police deployment and the Delhi High Court's order against disruptive festivities ensured that students maintained discipline while expressing their joy.

The scenes of chaos and large-scale gatherings seen in earlier elections were missing, with police personnel stationed at every corner of the campus.

An ABVP worker said, "The celebrations will take place at home and in the office. We will not go for a victory march and will follow all orders of the court." ABVP national media convener Harsh Attri said, "We will focus on our work and that will be our real celebration. We do not want to object to the high court order. Our celebrations will happen, but while maintaining all the guidelines." Meanwhile, Mridul Sharma, a student of Motilal Nehru College, said, "Unlike previous years, students are not celebrating on the roads. The campus is largely vacant and only a few places are lit up with small gatherings. We have also been asked not to go beyond the court's guidelines." On Wednesday, a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said that it was not interfering with the elections, but if the polls are not conducted in a "satisfactory order", it may stop the functioning of the office-bearers of Delhi.

It further directed the Delhi Police, DU officials and civil administration to take all possible and permissible steps to stop any untoward incident during the DUSU polls, and to ensure that no violation of regulations takes place during the elections.

Riding on a high-octane campaign, the RSS-affiliated ABVP wrested the president's post from the NSUI and bagged two other positions in the keenly contested DUSU polls, restricting its arch-rival to just one seat.

In a repeat of its 2023 performance in the polls, the results of which were declared on Friday, the saffron outfit won the posts of president, secretary and joint secretary, while the NSUI had to remain content with its sole victory for the vice president's position.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's (ABVP) Aryan Maan bagged the president's post, trouncing his rival from the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), Joslyn Nandita Choudhary, by a margin of 16,196 votes.

The only NSUI candidate to register a win, Rahul Jhansla, received 29,339 votes and defeated the ABVP's Govind Tanwar, who managed 20,547 votes, to win the vice president's post.

Kunal Chaudhary of the ABVP polled 23,779 votes to bag the secretary's post by defeating the NSUI's Kabir, who secured 16,117 votes.

ABVP's Deepika Jha defeated Lavkush Bhadana to win the joint secretary's post in the central panel. Jha received 21,825 votes against Bhadana's 17,380.

The alliance of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students' Association (AISA) drew a blank. PTI NSM NSM KSS KSS