DUSU results: ABVP students rigged EVMs, alleges NSUI

New Delhi: A fresh uproar erupted at university campuses on Thursday when the counting for Delhi University Students Union elections (DUSU) was suspended midway amid reports of "faulty EVMs and students' uproar over it". The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) alleged that the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) students rigged the polling machine and supporters surrounded the counting centre and started raising slogans.

The Aam Aadmi Party said that the government wants to conduct simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls across the length and breadth of the country, but asked how it would undertake such a massive exercise if it cannot even conduct polls for a student's council. The ABVP, however, demanded to continue the counting of vetoes.

NSUI alleged that the ABVP students rigged the polling machine. NSUI supporters surrounded the counting centre and started raising slogans. They were held back by police barricades, thanks to the heavy presence of security forces. All India Congress Committee joint secretary, Ruchi Gupta alleged, "NSUI was winning the post of DUSU president and secretary after 6 rounds. Then 6 EVMs started malfunctioning and EC wanted to set those aside. How is it that machines which were working till yesterday during polling are no longer working during counting? Clearly some sabotage to help ABVP."

Soon after the controversy broke out, the AAP, whose student wing the Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) had allied with left-leaning students' outfit All India Students Association (AISA) in polls, held a press conference. Party leader Dilip K Pandey said the government wants to conduct simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls across the length and breadth of the country, but asked how it would undertake such a massive exercise if it cannot even conduct polls for a student's council. AAP MLA Alka Lamba also took to Twitter and said that malfunctioning EVMs always coincided with the BJP's defeat in any polls.

Meanwhile, ABVP candidates wanted the counting to continue, a move which is being resisted by other student organisations. ABVP's vice-presidential candidate Shakti Singh said, "Only one EVM was faulty that could have been repaired. We want the counting to be resumed. Since we were leading on all the seats, the other parties are demanding fresh elections."