With 24 candidates in fray, DUSU goes to polls today

New Delhi: The students of Delhi University are all set to cast their votes for their respective student unions on Tuesday with 24 candidates will test their electoral fortunes in the country's prominent varsity.

Meanwhile, election authority have also geared up with all arrangements in place for the polls which are being closely watched in the aftermath of the controversies which have rocked inside the university campus in past few months.

While the political slugfest at DU has over the decades been between Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and RSS' student wing Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA) is vying for the central panel posts with a series of campaigns done by the outfit in recent months to thwart alleged attempts of attacks on university campuses across the country.

"A total of 24 candidates are in fray for the four posts of DUSU office-bearers. While10 candidates are in race for the post of President, five nominations have been validated for the post of Vice-President," Professor SB Babbar, Chief Election officer DUSU polls said. Moreover, "Five contestants are in fray for the post of Secretary and four for the Joint Secretary," he added.

The voting for Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections will take place in two phases across 124 booths set up at 51 colleges of the varsity both in the north campus and south campus.

"With a total of around 1,30, 000 voters, the voting will take place across 51 colleges of the university from morning to evening," Babbar said.

Prof Babbar also appealed that it has been observed that during the past few years only about one third of the students had voted for DUSU Elections. While quoting former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's appeal, which he made in 2004, "The right to vote is a sacred right and onerous responsibility that you owe to the motherland, hence, exercising your franchise must become a priority activity for you and you should cast your vote positively".

According to DU authorities, the timings for voting for the students of morning colleges will be from 8.30 am to 1 pm, while the students of evening colleges can cast their votes from 3 pm to 7.30 pm.

Babbar said 248 EVMs would be used for the elections and adequate security arrangements have also been made at each and every polling centre to prevent any untoward incident. "The results of DUSU elections will be declared by Wednesday, hopefully," he added.