NEW DELHI, SEPT 19: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) secured three of the four key posts in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, while former NSUI member Deepanshu Shokeen emerged victorious as an Independent candidate in the vice-presidential contest.
ABVP’s Yash Dabas was elected DUSU president with 24,576 votes, defeating Congress-backed NSUI candidate Vijai Shankar Meena, who secured 22,523 votes. Dabas won by a margin of 2,053 votes.
Riya Chhawdi secured the secretary’s post with 21,650 votes, while Lakshya Raj Singh won the joint secretary’s post with 16,615 votes.
The vice-president contest produced the election’s most notable result, with Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen polling 30,615 votes. ABVP’s Ishu Maurya finished second with 16,910 votes, while NSUI’s Vir Chatrath secured 4,313 votes.
The results were declared after 20 rounds of counting under tight security at Delhi University. Authorities had deployed extensive security arrangements and imposed restrictions around the counting venue.
The 2026 contest was marked by intense campaigning around student issues, including housing and campus infrastructure, alongside extensive social-media mobilisation. Voter turnout stood at 40.46 per cent, according to reports, higher than in the previous two elections.
The outcome also marked another setback for NSUI at the central-panel level, as the organisation failed to secure any of the four posts. The New Indian Express noted that NSUI has experienced repeated setbacks in DUSU elections over the past decade, with only brief periods of recovery.
Following the declaration of results, NSUI presidential candidate Vijai Shankar Meena alleged bogus and forced voting and said he would approach the court. The allegations remain contested and no judicial finding establishing them has been reported in the sources reviewed.
The results come against the backdrop of heightened attention to student politics, campus safety and student welfare issues at Delhi University.
