NEW DELHI: It’s just two days before the Delhi University goes to polls. With barely a day left for active campaigning, the campus has slipped into a full-blown election overdrive, with every corner echoing with slogans, strategy and spectacle.
From compact hatchbacks to large SUVs, vehicles decked with candidates’ names and ballot numbers moved in loops across varsity roads on Tuesday, carrying supporters leaning out of windows and rooftops, raising slogans to maximise last-minute visibility. The rallies choked the campus, with traffic police stepping in to document violations.
Despite earlier indications that entry passes would be mandatory for vehicles entering campus, no checks were enforced at the gates, allowing a steady stream of campaign vehicles to pass through. The result was a near-continuous circulation of political caravans, particularly led by cadres of ABVP and NSUI, whose leaders were taking rounds across colleges in quick succession.
Beyond campus roads, the election buzz spilt over to nearby Metro stations, where student volunteers distributed pamphlets and small campaign cards to commuters. Some groups even offered pick-up services from PG accommodations on voting day, September 18, in a bid to secure turnout.
“ABVP has always been the first choice of students because we work on the ground throughout the year to resolve their concerns,” said Sarthak Sharma, Delhi state secretary of ABVP, expressing confidence in a “decisive 4-0 victory”.
However, NSUI’s vice presidential candidate Vir Chathrath, who was campaigning on the roads with at least 50 supporters walking behind him, said, “The competition should not be tough, as it will be easier for the students to vote for a particular organisation. They have learnt a lot in the recent past, and they know their right choices. We are here to work for the welfare of the students.”
While larger outfits relied heavily on visibility through vehicles and banners, smaller and left-affiliated groups, including AISA-SFI, Disha Organisation and Fraternity Movement, adopted a persistent approach. Their volunteers were moving classrooms through the day, engaging with students in what remains the final stretch to influence undecided voters. Democracy walls, notice boards and pavements bore layers of campaign material, with ballot numbers plastered across surfaces, leaving no inch of space untouched.