NEW DELHI: As the dust settles with election campaigning over for the only democratically held Delhi University Student Elections (DUSU) the stage is set. Now it is for the voters to make up their mind which way to go in a keenly contested three way fight on September 11.
Both Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University will test the fortunes of over 50 candidates in the two campuses on Friday.
While the political slug-fest at DU has over the decades been between Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and BJP's Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), AAP-students' wing, Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) seeking to give a tough fight to the other two veterans in the game.
"A total of 35 candidates are in fray for the four posts of DUSU office-bearers. While 9 candidates are in race for the post of President, 8 nominations have been validated for the post of Vice-President," D S Rawat, Returning Officer (DUSU elections), said today.
The voting for Delhi University Students Union elections will take place in two phases across 127 booths set up at 42 colleges under the university.
“Total number of voters is 1,35,298, the voting will take place across 42 colleges of the university from morning to evening," Rawat said.
According to DU authorities, the timings for voting for students of morning colleges will be from 8.30 AM to 12.30 PM while the students of evening colleges can cast their votes from 3 PM to 7 PM. The results will be announced on Saturday, 700 EVMs would be used for DUSU elections.
Meanwhile, 22 candidates will be testing their electoral fortunes in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) polls.
"A total of 22 candidates are in fray for the Central Panel which includes President, Vice President, General Secretary and Joint Secretary. Another 83 candidates are also in the fray for the posts of councilors at all the centers of the university," the CEC for JNU polls Praveen Thallapelli said.
Last year, the DUSU polls were swept by ABVP trouncing NSUI to bag all four positions.
Another new entry in DUSU polls this year is Shiromani Akali Dal's youth wing, Students' Organisation of India (SOI). Left-backed All India Students Association (AISA) and All India Students Federation (AISF) have also fielded their candidates.
AISA had swept the JNU campus polls last year bagging all the top four positions, including the president's post, for the second consecutive year. Unlike DU, JNU resorts to voting through ballot papers. However, it offers the None of the Above (NOTA) option to its voters which isn't available in DU pols.