DU student organisations gear up for DUSU elections

After the high pitched battle over Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), the students’ organisations in University of Delhi (DU) are now rolling up their sleeves for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, expected to be held in September.

The leading student organisations; Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and All India Students’ Association (AISA) have started class to class campaigning for the elections. ‘Our candidates have started membership drive in colleges and class to class campaigning. This year we will have mainly three agendas; high cut-offs, room rent control act and better infrastructure. We have result-oriented approach and it was visible through our FYUP struggle. We gave momentum to the struggle and it all happened because of change in government at the Centre. Students recognised our roles,’ said Saket Bahuguna, State Secretary, ABVP.

Taking a jibe at rival party, spokesperson of NSUI, Amrish Pandey said: ‘FYUP shouldn’t be politicised in the wrong way. Students should be given credit for roll back of FYUP.’ 

Further, stating the party plans for upcoming elections, he said: ‘Our party candidates are meeting students personally and interacting with them. We will take up infrastructure development, women’s safety, evaluation and rechecking mechanism of DU in our agenda this time.’

While both the parties claims that they are building strong relationship with students, AISA state secretary discard such claims and says there has been no class to class campaigning by them.

‘Neither ABVP or NSUI candidates have been spotted in colleges. All they do is throw their cards on the roads. We have started a campaign called ‘Our DU, Our rights’. This cover issues like accommodation, transportation and education. We are asking students to fill up forms regarding the same and we will take the data to DU authorities and have a dialogue with them on the same. We are telling students why FYUP was removed and demanding that there should be enquiry into why it was allowed in first place. Our campaign has opened up gates for discussions and debates with the students,’ said Sunny Kumar, state secretary, AISA.