NEW DELHI: “Rajtilak ki hai tayyari, aa rahein hain bhagwadhari (Preparation for the coronation is on, here come the saffron-clad)—the slogan triumphantly raised by BJP supporters outside the party’s headquarters after the Lok Sabha poll results were announced in May, was heard yesterday outside the ABVP office after the Delhi University Students Union poll results were announced.
The counting of votes in the DUSU elections had begun around 9.30 am and went on till 3 pm. The trends till 1 pm showed the right-wing student group leading on all four posts. But then Ashish Lamba of the National Students Union of India gained a lead and eventually won the secretary’s post.
When Lamba came out of the counting centre at the New Police Lines in the Kingsway Camp area, his supporters hoisted him on their shoulders, as were the other three winners by their supporters. The winners were felicitated with garlands.
A large force of CISF and Delhi Police personnel was deployed to ensure peace.
The atmosphere in the campus turned festive with thumping of dhols and showering of rose petals. However, there was considerable wastage of paper, with ABVP supporters littering the streets with leftover campaign material.
The celebrators—mostly men—walked from the counting centre at the New Police Lines in the Kingsway Camp area to Swami Vivekananda’s statue near the central library at the varsity’s Faculty of Arts.
The winners stepped on to the statue’s pedestal and thanked their supporters. Their ABVP’s losing secretarial candidate, Yogit Rathee looked disappointed but congratulated those who had won.
NSUI’s Akshay Lakhra said: “ABVP fielded Yogit Rathee, who was the president of Ramjas College when the violence took place in 2017. The students have given a clear mandate against violence.”
Allegations and controversies
About two weeks ahead of elections, ABVP’s Shakti Singh installed a bust of Veer Savarkar at the Arts Faculty. It was later blackened and garlanded with shoes by NSUI members. The bust was later removed.
More than 20 FIRs were registered against candidates under Delhi Defacement of Property Act.
NSUI alleged that ABVP had distributed chocolates with names of their candidates stuck on them.
Three days ahead of voting, Ankit Bharti, NSUI’s vice-presidential candidate, alleged he was attacked by ABVP members. The ABVP denied the allegations.
The ABVP on Friday said that it had won the majority of seats in colleges’ students’ unions and alleged that the NSUI had been spreading lies that they have won more seats.
Voting was overall peaceful. However, there were incidents of duplicate voting and violation of model code of conduct in Kirori Mal College.
The Kirori Mal College also withheld the results of central councillor posts after it was found that candidates violated the model code of conduct by putting up huge hoardings and defacing college property.