NEW DELHI: From being accused of “vote chori” to proclaiming “dil chori”, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has flipped the script in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) 2025 elections, sweeping three of the four top posts, President, Secretary and Joint Secretary, leaving only the Vice President’s seat for the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).
ABVP’s presidential candidate Aryan Maan secured a massive victory with 28,841 votes, leaving NSUI’s candidate far behind with 12,645 votes. An NSUI rebel candidate, running independently, polled 5,522 votes, which may have dented the official NSUI tally. The SFI-AISA alliance trailed with 5,385 votes, reflecting its limited influence in this category once again.
The Delhi University campus, which until last evening echoed with cries of “vote chori”, rang out with a different declaration on Friday, “dil chori”. Riding high on its decisive win, ABVP turned the controversy into celebration, proclaiming that it had not stolen votes but only the hearts of students.
ABVP’s recent win in the Panjab University student elections had set the tone for its growing momentum across campuses. With a dominant victory now in Delhi University, the organisation has firmly consolidated its presence in major student unions nationwide.
Aryan Maan hails from Bahadurgarh, Haryana. A graduate of Hansraj College, he is currently pursuing his degree in Library Sciences. Maan has been an active football player and has been at the forefront of several key student movements organised by ABVP, particularly those campaigning against fee hikes and advocating for improved university infrastructure.
His family is involved in the liquor business and has been active in Haryana politics. His late grandfather, Shrichand Mann, was the head of the Lova Satrah Khap for many years.
His father, Sikandar Mann, is a notable liquor businessman and serves as the executive director of the ADS Spirits Private Limited liquor factory in Beri, Jhajjar. Sikandar Mann has also twice held the position of sarpanch in Lova Kalan village.
In a notable upset for ABVP, the Vice President post went to NSUI, which received 29,339 votes, defeating ABVP’s 20,547. SFI-AISA secured just 4,163 votes, showing a consistent third-place performance.
For the Secretary post, ABVP gained 23,779 votes, defeating NSUI’s 16,177, while SFI-AISA made a relatively stronger showing here with 9,535 votes. The Joint Secretary post followed a similar pattern, with ABVP at 21,825, NSUI at 17,380, and SFI-AISA at 8,425.
Reacting to NSUI losing the presidential seat, national president Varun Chaudhary said, “NSUI fought well in this odd election — not just against ABVP, but against the combined force of DU Admin, Delhi Govt, Central Govt, RSS-BJP & Delhi Police. Yet thousands of DU students stood firmly with us and our candidates fought well. Best wishes to Rahul Jhansla, newly elected DUSU Vice President from NSUI panel, and to all other office bearers who won. Win or loss, NSUI will always fight for common students, their issues and to save DU. We will only grow stronger.”
Last year, the Congress-backed NSUI had staged a comeback in the Delhi University student union election after seven years, clinching the President and Joint Secretary positions. NSUI’s Ronak Khatri emerged victorious in the presidential race, defeating ABVP’s Rishabh Chaudhary by over 1,300 votes. Khatri got 20,207 votes while Chaudhary trailed with 18,864 votes.
Results:
President
ABVP: 28,841 WINNER
NSUI: 12,645
SFI-AISA: 5,385
Ind (NSUI Rebel): 5,522
Vice President
NSUI: 29,339 WINNER
ABVP: 20,547
SFI-AISA: 4,163
Secretary
ABVP: 23,779 WINNER
NSUI: 16,177
SFI-AISA: 9,535
Joint Secretary
ABVP: 21,825 WINNER
NSUI: 17,380
SFI-AISA: 8,425