New Delhi [India], September 19 (ANI): Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Bharatiya Janata Party celebrated ABVP's victory on three key posts in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections on Saturday.
ABVP secured three of the four key posts in the DUSU elections, with Yash Dabas winning the President post, Riya Chhawdi securing the Secretary position, and Lakshya Raj Singh winning the Joint Secretary post.
Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen, a former National Students' Union of India (NSUI) member, emerged victorious for the Vice President post.
Yash Dabas, who was elected as the DUSU President, said the organisation's victory reflected students' faith in its year-long work on campus issues, asserting that "Gen Z is smart" and "stands with the nation and ABVP".
Speaking in a press conference after his victory, Dabas said, "Other organisations contest elections on just one issue; what did Vidyarthi Parishad do? And Vidyarthi Parishad releases its report card on what we have done throughout the year. Whether it's about student safety, we worked on getting more than 1,000 CCTV cameras installed in our campus area. Whether it's about women's safety, we worked to open five pink booths and worked to station a Womaniya van in front of every girls' college."
He further said, "This victory belongs to all the workers of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, who work 365 days a year in their college units. And I would like to say one thing to you all about a fake narrative that was being run on social media for many days. I want to tell those people that Gen Z is not foolish. Gen Z is smart. Gen Z stands with the nation, and Gen Z stands with ABVP."
Dabas said ABVP's priority after the victory would be addressing student safety and accommodation issues.
"We told you at the time of the manifesto as well. Today, we are reiterating it. Whether it's a safety audit, whether it's the construction of new hostels, whether it's girls' hostels for girls' colleges and all colleges. Apart from that, a helpline number that we can set up for students living in hostels and PGs, so that immediate action can be taken on their issues," he said.
Independent candidate Shokeen, after winning the Vice President post, said that students had placed their trust in him and that he would work to raise their issues.
Shokeen told ANI, "It feels wonderful that the students lived up to the trust I placed in them. The students ran my entire election campaign themselves and supported me immensely. I felt that the battle I had come to fight—proving myself as a true representative of the students and justifying that role—was one I successfully accomplished here."
ABVP's Riya Chhawdi, who won the Secretary post, said she would focus on student issues and women's safety during her tenure.
"I am absolutely overjoyed by this victory. As the only woman candidate, I am ready to do everything within my power for the students during my tenure. We are a student organisation. We do not focus on political agendas; our goal is to resolve students' issues. That is why the students placed their trust in us—resulting in ABVP winning three seats," she said.
She further said, "First and foremost, I always emphasise that women's safety will be my top priority. Beyond that, we are fully committed to fulfilling everything outlined in our manifesto—whether it concerns women's safety, audits of PGs (paying guest accommodations), or campus security."
After winning the Joint Secretary position, ABVP's Lakshya Raj Singh said that the organisation worked consistently to address student issues and attributed the victory to the support of students.
"Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad worked steadfastly and addressed all the issues; as you have seen, the ABVP won the presidency at both PU and Delhi University. This demonstrates that the sentiment of Gen Z is with the Vidyarthi Parishad," he told ANI.
"Today, you can see that our ABVP activists have emerged victorious; many are present here, yet even now, ABVP activists are sitting in protest at the South Campus," he added.
Outgoing DUSU President and ABVP leader Aryan Maan said the organisation would continue to push for more hostels and action against what he termed the "PG (paying guest) mafia".
"We will work on hostel availability as well... Our demand will continue to be that new hostels are opened within the university, and at the same time, this PG mafia is shut down, and a Rent Control Act is implemented in Delhi University," he told ANI.
The elections were contested in the backdrop of the Satya Niketan building collapse incident, which claimed seven lives.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated ABVP on its performance, saying the mandate reflected the sentiments of youth across the country.
"Delhi University is not just a university; students come here to study from every corner of the country. The mandate of this place is a reflection of the sentiments of the youth across all of India. Today's splendid victory for @ABVPVoice is a clear message to those anti-national forces who want to turn the youth power into a laboratory for their anti-national agenda. The youth of the country today stand firmly with the ideology of Nation First, and this is the biggest message of this mandate," Shah said on X.
Congratulating ABVP workers, Shah said the victory reflected the trust of the youth in the organisation's ideology and its commitment towards student welfare.
"Heartfelt congratulations to all the dedicated workers of the council on the splendid victory of @ABVPVoice in the Delhi University Students' Union elections," he said.
"This victory reflects the unwavering trust of the youth in the council's ideology of 'Nation First' and its commitment to student welfare. I am fully confident that the council's workers, drawing new energy from this victory and following the ideals of Swami Vivekananda Ji, will continue to relentlessly advance the cause of student interests and nation-building," Shah added.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also congratulated ABVP on its performance in the DUSU elections, calling the result "very important and very symbolic".
Reacting to the election results, Rijiju said, "Delhi University Students' Union election is very important and very symbolic. The ABVP has once again made a very big presence by getting a huge victory. Congress party could not win even one seat. So Congress has scored a big zero again in the Delhi University Students' Union election. I want to extend hearty congratulations to all the ABVP candidates who have created a habit of victory in the Delhi University Students' Union election."
BJP National President Nitin Nabin also congratulated ABVP, saying the victory reflected the youth's continued faith in positive and constructive student politics.
In a post on X, Nabin said, "Congratulations to all my young friends at Delhi University on ABVP’s historic victory in the DUSU elections! This victory reflects the youth’s continued faith in positive and constructive student politics, rooted in the spirit of Nation First, and their strong resolve to contribute to the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’."
"My best wishes to the victorious candidates and everyone who worked tirelessly to make this victory possible," he added.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also congratulated ABVP on its victory, saying the result reflected students' support for nationalism, ideology and positive change.
In a post on X, Dhami said, "Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on the splendid and historic victory of @ABVPVoice in the Delhi University Students' Union elections."
"The victory of Shri Yash Dabas on the President's post, Smt. Riya Chhabra on the Secretary's post, and Shri Lakshya Raj Singh on the Joint Secretary's post is a symbol of that student power's faith, which has extended its support to nationalism, ideology, and positive change," he added.
BJP MP Dharmendra Pradhan also congratulated ABVP workers on the victory.
In a post on X, Pradhan said, "Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the workers on the splendid victory of @ABVPVoice in the Delhi University Students' Union elections."
He added, "This success reflects the enthusiasm of student power, faith in the organisation, and the youth's commitment to the national interest. It is with full confidence that ABVP will continue to play such a positive role in nation-building by working tirelessly with dedication to student interests."
BJP MP Sambit Patra also hailed ABVP's performance, saying the results reflected students' support for development and patriotism.
Patra said, "The results of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections were declared today. These results clearly demonstrate the victory of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), an organisation whose core tenets are development and patriotism. The ABVP has secured three seats: President, Secretary, and Joint Secretary. It is evident that students from every corner of the country and from all walks of life come to Delhi University, and their collective voice is now aligning with the nation's trajectory of progress and development."
BJP National Media Co-convener Sidharth Yadav said the ABVP victory reflected students' rejection of what he described as "politics of lies, deceit and propaganda."
He said, "The ABVP emerged victorious. This clearly demonstrates that the students of Delhi University have effectively shut down the shop of Rahul Gandhi’s politics—a brand of politics built on lies, deceit, and propaganda. This is a massive mandate."
Yadav further said, "The Delhi University Students' Union election is the largest student union election in the world. The Delhi University Students' Union election acted as a litmus test—one that Rahul Gandhi has failed miserably. I believe today serves as a reality check for him. The students of Delhi University have proven that the politics of propaganda, lies, falsehood, and negativity have no place in this country..."
Meanwhile, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit raised concerns over the election results, alleging malpractice during counting and polling.
Speaking to ANI, he said, "I have heard this from our National Students' Union of India (NSUI) President that there was malpractice during the counting and at the polling centres. This needs to be examined because it could have a major impact on the 2-3 seats decided by narrow margins; furthermore, there were significant difficulties during the campaigning phase as well."
"Our people were not allowed access; they were obstructed. Consequently, the 2-3 seats we lost by narrow margins might well have turned into victories. Delhi University elections involve different issues. Regionalism plays a role here, and votes are often cast based on the candidate's personal identity," he added.
According to the final vote tally after 20 rounds of counting, Dabas won the President post with 24,576 votes, defeating NSUI's Vijay Meena, who secured 22,523 votes. Shokeen won the Vice President post with 30,615 votes, while ABVP's Ishu Maurya received 16,910 votes and NSUI's Virr Chatrath secured 4,313 votes.
For the Secretary post, ABVP's Riya Chhawdi won with 21,650 votes against NSUI's Namrata Chaudhary, who received 14,869 votes. ABVP's Lakshya Raj Singh secured the Joint Secretary post with 16,641 votes, while Independent candidate Vishesh Yadav received 15,778 votes and NSUI's Gopal Choudhary secured 15,106 votes.
The DUSU election campaign focused on key student issues, including safety, accommodation, campus infrastructure, academic facilities and social justice. Student housing remained a major concern following the Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi, which claimed seven lives, including five students. The incident had earlier led to protests by the ABVP and NSUI, demanding accountability and action against those responsible.
A total of 20 candidates representing major student organisations, including ABVP, NSUI, and the alliance of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Students’ Federation of India (SFI), contested the elections. (ANI)
"Gen Z stands with us": BJP, ABVP celebrate as Vidyarthi Parishad retains three key seats in DUSU polls; Cong leader alleges malpractice
