NEW DELHI: Delhi University has mandated all candidates contesting in the Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) elections to sign an affidavit pledging to refrain from using dhols, loudspeakers, firecrackers, or pamphlets in both open and closed premises after the declaration of results. The affidavit also prohibits candidates from organizing roadshows or rallies to celebrate their victory. Failure to comply with these conditions can result in the cancellation of a candidate’s victory or removal from their elected post.
This measure aligns with existing election rules and comes amid an ongoing Delhi High Court case concerning the defacement of public property during the DUSU polls. Candidates must submit the affidavit to the Office of the Chief Election Officer by the end of Sunday. However, sources revealed that only about a dozen of the 21 candidates vying for central panel posts have submitted the required document so far.
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The DUSU results which were initially scheduled to be announced on September 28 but have been delayed due to a court order mandating the cleanup of defacement caused during the campaign. The results were first postponed to November 21 and are now expected on November 25. The much-anticipated announcement will be made on Monday, with the university taking stringent measures to ensure compliance with rules following the results.
Chief Election Officer of DUSU Elections 2024-25, Professor Satyapal Singh announced that the counting of votes will be held at 8 a.m. on November 25 in the Conference Centre, opposite the Department of Botany in the North Campus. Institutional authorities were instructed to count the votes of their colleges/departments/institutes/centres on Sunday.
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Voting for the top four DUSU posts took place on September 27, but the Delhi High Court stayed the declaration of results until the removal of defacement by candidates. The results of the DUSU elections are keenly awaited by the BJP and the Congress in the election-bound city, as they are seen as a barometer of Delhi youth’s political mood. Gains for the student wing of the Congress, National Students Union of India (NSUI), or the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) may set a favourable tone for the Assembly elections in February.
The AAP, which has headed the Delhi government for a decade, is yet to emerge as a significant player in the DUSU elections, known to produce leaders like Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Vijay Goel of the BJP and Union minister and former Delhi mayor Ajay Maken and former MLA Alka Lamba of the Congress.