NEW DELHI: It looks like ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option caught the voters’ attention in this year’s DUSU polls. Despite turning out in low numbers to vote on Septmeber 27, the students by pressing NOTA have given a clarion call to student organisations that muscle and money power are not everything.
Over 20,000 students voted for NOTA this year out of the total 2,03,458 votes polled for each post. However, the total vote share by the left parties, comprising AISA and SFI, was also recorded to be 20,827 making the left parties reach the same percentage as of NOTA.
The post of Secretary got the maximum number of NOTA votes- 6,771 followed by the Joint Secretary post.
In the SFI-AISA’s panel, the presidential candidate got only 2,695 votes as compared to 3,906 votes for NOTA, Vice president got 3650 votes as compared to 4411 votes for NOTA. However, the Joint Secretary got 5,676 votes while NOTA had 5660 votes. Similarly, the candidate for the post of Secretary got 8,806 votes which was higher than NOTA which was only 6,771.
One of the students, Vardana Misra said, “The blatant display of money and power made us go for the NOTA option. We wanted to question who is the genuine leader among all. How do we get to know the leader in 15 days when he comes and shows us his face? We know him through the banners put up across the campus. Otherwise, there is a connection between that leader and a common student.” Meanwhile, one of SFI leaders said, “The students of DU have delivered a breath of fresh wind to Left Unity and the larger ongoing struggle against the ABVP."