ABVP sweeps DUSU polls, bags all four seats

New Delhi, September 12

BJP’s student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today swept the Delhi University students’ Union (DUSU) elections by bagging all four positions with a margin of over 4,500 votes on each seat.

The ABVP won posts of president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary defeating Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).

Failing to open its account, the AAP-led Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) which made its debut in DUSU polls this year finished in the third position.

Satender Awana was elected president of DUSU, while Sunny Dedha won vice-president’s post. Anjali Rana and Chhattarpal Yadav have been elected as secretary and joint secretary, respectively.

Chief Election Officer for DUSU polls, DS Rawat said Awana polled 20,439 votes defeating Pradeep Vijayran of NSUI who polled 14,112 votes for the post of president.

Dedha, a law student defeated CYSS candidate Garima Rana by a margin of 7,570 votes.

The margin for the posts of Secretary and Joint Secretary were 4,610 and 6,065 votes.

While Anjali Rana defeated NSUI’s Amit Sehrawat to win the post of Secretary, Chhattarpal Yadav bagged the Joint Secretary position defeating NSUI’s Deepak Choudhary.

“CYSS’ efforts were confined to banners only. They were unaware of ground realities. We will remain among the students throughout the year and fulfill our promises,” Awana, the newly-elected president said.

“We did not consider them (CYSS) a challenge, since they did not talk of real issues, they benefited us in a way,” he added.

Celebrations broke out with bursting of crackers and loud cheering at the counting venue in Kingsway camp as the results were announced. The ABVP supporters lifted their candidates on shoulders and posed for pictures flashing the victory sign.

Last year, too, the ABVP had swept the polls trouncing the NSUI to bag all four seats.

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who began his political career at the DUSU, took to twitter to congratulate the ABVP on its victory.

“Congratulations to ABVP & Students of Delhi University on winning the DUSU elections & making a clean sweep by winning all the four seats,” he said.

BJP national president Amit Shah, also tweeted, “Heartiest Congratulations to all Parishad karyakartas on clean sweep in DUSU Polls. A victory of ideology #ABVPRocks”.

Testing their electoral fortunes were nine candidates for the post of president, eight each for the post of vice-president and joint secretary and 10 nominees for the post of secretary.

The polling was held in two phases yesterday and it saw a turnout of over 43 per cent. A total of 1,35,298 students were eligible to exercise their franchise.

The issues that topped the agenda of various parties contesting this year included their stand on the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), Room Rent Control Act, accommodation for all, demand for compact campus, opening of new colleges and infrastructural development among others.

The DUSU is the representative body of the students from most colleges and faculties of the varsity. The polls have been keenly contested over decades and are seen as a stepping stone to party politics. — PTI