NEW DELHI: The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress, faced another setback in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, with the results declared on Saturday showing the outfit winning none of the central panel posts.
Between 2017 and 2026, NSUI’s performance in DUSU elections has seen repeated setbacks, with only brief periods of recovery.
In 2017, NSUI secured the President’s post, ending ABVP’s dominance in a closely fought contest. However, the momentum did not last. In 2018 and 2019, NSUI failed to win any central post, marking back-to-back complete losses.
The electoral cycle was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022. When elections resumed, ABVP reasserted its dominance. In 2023, NSUI again failed to win a central panel post.
A brief resurgence came in 2024 when NSUI secured the President’s post along with another central position. However, in 2025, it was reduced to a single seat, winning the Vice-President’s post.
In this year’s polls, NSUI drew a blank again, marking another setback after its brief recovery.
NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar said the organisation fought the election with full strength on student issues and lost by a narrow margin of votes. He said the organisation would reflect on its shortcomings, make improvements and work to fulfil the promises made to students.
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, speaking to the media on Saturday evening, stated, “I have heard this from our President that there was malpractice during the counting and at the polling centers. This needs to be examined because it could have a major impact on the 2-3 seats decided by narrow margins. Delhi University elections involve different issues. Regionalism plays a role here, and votes are often cast based on the candidate's personal identity.”