EXC: AAP’s student wing opts out of DU polls to support Congress’ NSUI

NEW DELHI | Updated: 16 September, 2023 5:16 pm IST

Neeraj Kundan, the national NSUI president, said that he expects AAP's CYSS to support them for DUSU

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing has declared its support for the National Students Union of India (NSUI) of Congress, another constituent of opposition INDIA bloc, in the elections for Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU).

Senior office bearers from both the NSUI and AAP’s Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) have confirmed to The New Indian about the cooperation in the student elections scheduled for September 22.

CYSS state secretary Kamal Tiwari conveyed, “We will be endorsing NSUI in the DUSU elections. ABVP’s three-year tenure was marked by disturbances, and we will support any party opposing it. Whichever student union strongly fights against the ABVP, we will support them.”

It has opted not to participate in the DUSU student body elections, citing “instructions from the AAP leadership” as the reason.

NSUI national president Neeraj Kundan, however, said there is no official communication from the CYSS. “I am not certain if they will support us, but considering our national alliance, we hope they will stand with us against Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP),” he said.

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At present, NSUI will field four candidates for the positions of president, vice president, joint secretary, and secretary, represented by Hitesh Gulia, Abhi Dahiya, Shubham Chaudhary, and Yakshna Sharma, respectively.

The Congress student body has pledged to address issues of violence and harassment on campuses, with Hitesh Gulia singling out the current ABVP student board, stating, “ABVP has been associated with campus violence. Incidents like those at Miranda House and other colleges have consistently involved ABVP members.”

Joint secretary candidate Shubham Chaudhary has vowed to enhance campus security by increasing police surveillance outside colleges, stating, “We will advocate for additional PCR vans, each with both male and female constables, to patrol outside colleges during campus hours. Our goal is to ensure that female students feel safe within the college premises, which should be a secure environment.”

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The four prospective candidates have also outlined promises in their manifesto, including free metro passes, improved infrastructure, menstrual leave, and a 24/7 library, among other commitments.