NDTF’s Prof Bhagi elected DUTA prez

New Delhi: The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) polls witnessed a voter turnout of 85.5 per cent as Prof AK Bhagi of the National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) was elected president.

The election featured a spirited contest for the position of president and 15 executive member roles, with 21 candidates participating. Prof Bhagi faced off against Prof Aditya Narayan Mishra of the Democratic United Teachers’ Alliance for the coveted President’s post. Ultimately, Prof Bhagi secured 4,182 votes, while Prof Mishra received 3,787 votes, solidifying Prof Bhagi’s position as DUTA president. Aditya Narayan Misra raised his voice against the mass displacement of teachers and highlighted infrastructure issues at Delhi University.

Several other NDTF candidates secured significant support in the election, including Trimbak Chumbak (6,929 votes), Abha Dev (6,918 votes), Amit Singh (6,816 votes), Rudrasish Chakraborty (5,688 votes), Sudhanshu Kumar (5,264 votes), AN Sachin (5,197 votes), Devanandan (4,939 votes), Bimalendra Tirthankar (4,769 votes), Anand Prakash (4,517 votes), Anil Kumar (4,296 votes), and Sanjeev Kaushal (4,109 votes).

A total of 8,295 out of over 9,500 eligible voters exercised their franchise, casting 7,969 valid votes, with 326 votes being invalid. Prof Bhagi, in his first media conference following re-election, outlined his priorities for the next two years.

He underscored the importance of continuing the regularisation process and counting past service in promotions for regularised faculty. Additionally, the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme and the pursuit of EWS reservation posts in colleges were highlighted.