After three-year hiatus, Delhi varsity gears up for student poll

Samad Hoque

New Delhi, September 13

After a hiatus of three years, Delhi University is all set to hold its student body elections on September 22 with campaign heat soaring as days pass by.

The elections were put on hold in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19 related protocols.

Last year, the disruption in the academic calendar put a halt to the election process.

With the polls now back on the calendar, the DU north campus is buzzing with activity, music, frenzied sloganeering, massive convoys, rallies, and blaring car horns.

Student bodies have been thronging the campus streets raising their banners, bearing poll promises to voters.

The last date for the filing of nominations is Thursday.

As electioneering heats up, key issues dominating the canvassing are lack of hostels, safety of female students and high course fee.

The Delhi University has 16 faculties, 80 academic departments and more than 80 affiliated colleges.

Due to less number of hostels, students have to rely on paying guest accommodations and rental apartments.

In principle all students’ organisations have raised the demand for more girls’ hostels and enhancement of their safety on the campus.

Nikita, a second year student at Daulat Ram College, said, “Female students who come from outside don’t feel safe inside the campus. The Miranda House incident has raised many questions.”

Two weeks ago, Miranda House witnessed miscreants barging into the college as a rally passed outside the college premises. In another incident, in March female students of Indraprastha College for Women alleged sexual harassment as men scaled the walls of the college during an event.

“There is a lot of pollution due to elections. People are using loudspeakers for campaigning and a lot of paper is being wasted. You can see the litter all around,” said Rasraj, a student.