The Delhi University campus was abuzz with excitement on Friday with students turning out in large numbers to vote for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. Around 43.3 per cent votes were cast this year, which is similar to the turnout last year.
The students’ elections in DU are fought at two levels — at the university level and at the internal college level.
The issues that students voted for this year included rollback of the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), right to accommodation, security for women and transport problems.
Palak Sharma, a first year student at Ramjas College said: “For me, the rollback of CBCS is a major issue. Another issue is accommodation on campus. I have cast my vote with these things in mind.”
Vikas Kumar, a second year student at Hindu College said: “I voted in the DUSU polls last year too, but was not impressed with the work the elected party did. I want a change.”
Chief Election Officer for DUSU elections, D.S. Rawat, said the voting went off peacefully with 44 per cent of students casting their vote in the first phase of polling.
“The elections went off smoothly. The maximum turnout of 91 per cent was recorded at Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College, and the minimum of 21 per cent was recorded at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Evening College and the Department of Buddhist Studies at 21 per cent,” Mr. Rawat said.
“Among campus colleges, Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) reported the highest turnout of 70 per cent, while the minimum was 27 per cent at Khalsa College,” he added.
No technical glitches in EVMs were reported in the first phase. Votes will be counted on Saturday with results expected soon after.
“The university had deployed 23 observers, who visited the 50 centres where the polling took place, to check for violations of code of conduct. The DU administration had installed CCTV cameras besides hiring commercial videographers to record the election activities to ensure free and fair polling,” Mr. Rawat said.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Delhi) Madhur Verma, the polling was peaceful with no incidents of violence being reported.
A total of 1,35,298 voters were eligible to vote in the DUSU polls for the four posts of president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary. There are nine candidates in the fray for the post of president, eight each for the post of vice-president and joint secretary, and 10 for the post of secretary.
DUSU is the representative body for students from most colleges and faculties at DU. The polls have, in fact, been a stepping stone to politics for prominent leaders. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Congress leader Ajay Maken, Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay, BJP leader Vijay Goel are among those who began their political career at DUSU.
The university had installed CCTV cameras besides hiring videographers to record the activities
