The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections have delivered a decisive result, with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) securing three of the four key posts. Yash Dabas won the presidency, while Riya Chhawdi and Lakshya Raj Singh emerged victorious as Secretary and Joint Secretary respectively. The Vice-President’s post, however, went to Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen, who polled 30,615 votes, adding an unexpected twist to an otherwise strong ABVP showing.
The Delhi University Students’ Union election results announced on Saturday have reinforced ABVP’s strong presence in campus politics, with the organisation retaining the President’s post and capturing two other positions on the four-member central panel.
ABVP’s Yash Dabas emerged victorious in the presidential contest with 24,576 votes, defeating his rivals in a closely watched race. Riya Chhawdi secured the Secretary position with 21,650 votes, while Lakshya Raj Singh won the Joint Secretary post with 16,615 votes.
The biggest surprise of the election came in the Vice-President contest. Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen won the post with 30,615 votes, preventing ABVP from making a clean sweep of all four central-panel positions. His victory stood out against the contest involving candidates backed by major student organisations. Reports have identified Shokeen as a former NSUI member who contested this year as an independent.
The results followed polling held on September 18 across Delhi University. According to reports, 40.46 per cent voter turnout was recorded, higher than the previous year's 39.5 per cent. More than 1.5 lakh students were eligible to vote, with counting beginning on September 19 amid heightened security.
The election was contested primarily among ABVP, the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), and candidates associated with the AISA-SFI alliance. The presidential race was particularly closely watched, with ABVP’s Dabas facing NSUI’s Vijay Shankar Meena and Left-backed Ananya Raturi.
The election results came against the backdrop of strong intervention by the Delhi High Court, which had expressed serious concern over incidents reported during the campaign.
On September 18, the court barred victory processions, drums and similar celebrations following the declaration of results. The restriction applies to Delhi University campuses and hostels as well as roads. The court directed Delhi Police and university authorities to ensure that the order is implemented.
The court's intervention followed reports of violence, vandalism, large vehicle convoys and alleged violations of election norms during campaigning. The bench had warned that inadequate action against violations could have consequences for the counting and declaration of results.
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