DUSU polls: First phase records 36% turnout, evening voting underway

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Updated - September 18, 2026 05:37 pm IST - New Delhi A student walks along a footpath past a wall covered with posters of candidates contesting the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, at North Campus of Delhi University, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI The Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections saw an approximate 36% voter turnout in the first phase on Friday (September 18, 2026), with voting for students attending evening classes underway, officials said. Polling began at 8.30 a.m. for the four central panel posts, namely president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary, along with college representatives. Last year, student elections across a majority of Delhi University colleges recorded a voter turnout of approximately 39.45%. The election this year is an intense contest involving the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the All India Students Association (AISA)-Students’ Federation of India (SFI) alliance. ABVP has fielded Yash Dabas for president, Ishu Maurya for vice-president, Riya Chhawadi for secretary and Lakshya Raj Singh for joint secretary. The NSUI candidates are Vijay Shankar Meena for president, Vir Chatrath for vice-president, Namrata Chaudhary for secretary and Gopal Choudhary for joint secretary. The AISA-SFI alliance has nominated Ananya Raturi for president, Akshat Shikhar for vice-president, Stanzin Deskyong for secretary and B Parijaat for joint secretary.