85% voter turnout in Delhi varsity teachers’ association election

PTI

New Delhi, September 27

A total of 85.5 per cent of 9,500 eligible voters exercised their franchise in the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) elections held on Wednesday in which the prime contenders are the RSS-backed National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) and the Democratic United Teachers’ Alliance (DUTA).

For these elections, around nine teachers’ organisations from different ideologies have formed an alliance named ‘Democratic United Teachers’ Alliance’.

The alliance includes groups like Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), AAP-backed Academic for Action and Development Delhi Teachers’ Association (AADTA), Indian National Teachers Congress (INTEC), Delhi Teachers’ Initiative (DTI), Samajwadi Shikshak Manch (SSM), Common Teachers’ Front (CTF), Independent Teachers’ Front for Social Justice (ITF-SJ) and ‘voice of DU Ad hocs’.

While the NDTF had won the DUTA elections last time (in 2021), the DTF won the polls five times in a row prior to 2021. Today, polling commenced at 10 am and ended at 5 pm.

A total of 8,187 out of 9,500 eligible voters exercised their franchise in the polling held on Wednesday.

The NDTF has fielded AK Bhagi, who had won the president’s post in teachers’ body poll last time. The DUTA, on the other hand, fielded Aditya Narayan Misra as their joint candidate.

Misra, who held the post of president of Delhi University Teacher’s Association president for three terms, said their alliance has emerged as “a formidable force” to safeguard the rights of teachers at the university. He alleged that the DU has taken a loan of several crores of rupees and the university’s financial burden may have a direct impact on students.

VS Negi, general secretary of NDTF, said, “Teachers will support AK Bhagi this time as well. The alliance formed by teachers’ associations from different ideologies is only spreading negativity. There were 3,000 teachers who were recently appointed and out of them 2,200 teachers were ad hocs. We will press that their experience as ad hoc be counted as part of their services.”

#RSS