DU witnessing a quieter, cleaner election campaign; only a few violations reported

Unlike previous years, the ongoing campaigning for the Delhi University Students’ Union elections has been quieter and cleaner — courtesy the Delhi High Court withholding the election results for two months last year over concerns about defacement and stringent guidelines now in place.

In contrast to blowing printed banners in the air, holding roadshows, and canvassing through SUVs, the contestants and their supporters are distributing slips of paper with handwritten candidate names, reaching out to students individually, and using social media for campaigning.

The university has issued strict guidelines prohibiting canvassing via vehicles, using loudspeakers, and defacing public property.

Ramu Mali, a ragpicker who lives near Chhatra Marg, North Campus, said he used to collect around 20 kilograms of paper waste before elections until last year. “This time, we are just picking up empty bottles and plates. There is very little paper waste littering the university’s roads,” said Mr. Mali.

Anand Ojha, an Independent contesting for a college counsellor post, said, “Most of the campaign is taking place online due to the stringent guidelines. Candidates are reaching students on Instagram and via WhatsApp messages.”

Violation complaints

The university has launched a portal where anyone can report a complaint by uploading a photo of the violation.

DUSU Chief Election Officer (CEO) Raj Kishore Sharma said, “Till now, we have received only 4-5 complaints, that too not severe in nature. A few of them are of defacement. We are investigating the complaints.”

The violations have been significantly fewer than in previous years, he said, adding that the campaign has transitioned to social media, which is a welcome step.

On campus, violations can be spotted but more sparingly than in previous years. Most of the posters have been pasted on the designated walls of democracy, where students have been permitted to paste them. However, some umbrellas that cover food stalls have names of student organisations on them. Similarly, a few rickshaws, autos, and cars were found with pictures or names of candidates.

Whether these instances count as defacement, Mr. Sharma said, “They do not come under defacement, but depending on the nature of the violation, might attract a fine.”

Earlier, the campus roads were littered with posters of misspelled names, in an attempt to evade action. This year, however, the guidelines banned even this practice, stating that if a candidate’s misspelled name appears on any defacement, the person is expected to report it.

However, a few posters with misspelled names continue to be seen throughout the campus.

Poll promises

The key promises of the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) include 12-day menstrual leave per semester, nighttime police patrolling, and the activation of Internal Complaints Committees. The Left alliance of SFI-AISA has announced the immediate rollback of fee hikes and opposition to the loan-based model of education funding. On the other hand, the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has promised subsidised metro passes, additional sports equipment, and accessibility audits for students with disabilities.