NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday allowed the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections to go ahead as planned on September 27, but ordered delay in vote count until all election-related posters and graffiti are removed from the campus.
“As all preparations for the elections are complete, it wouldn’t be right to cancel them at this stage. However, counting should only begin once the candidates have cleared the posters and graffiti, and compensated for any damage caused,” a bench, led by Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, said.
The ruling came in response to a plea by advocate Prashant Manchanda, who raised concerns about the defacement of public and private properties through posters and hoardings during the campaign.
On September 25, the HC had questioned MCD, cops and DU on their efforts to address the issue, referencing a 2018 order on similar concerns.
The HC noted that various public spaces, including bus stops, metro and police stations, were defaced, and that areas surrounding the university were littered with pamphlets. The university acknowledged that candidates violated court directives as well as the Lyngdoh Committee’s guidelines. The university informed the HC that it had asked the candidates to remove all materials.
Manchanda argued for the cancellation of polls, saying, “Allowing elections would only encourage misconduct.”
During a previous hearing, the HC expressed frustration. “I may have to take strict action. Let the campaign spending go to waste. This level of defacement is worse than what we see during the general election,” said Justice Manmohan. The HC assigned responsibility for cleaning and repairing the damage to candidates.