Clashes, security ahead of final day before DUSU polls

The high-octane contest for the DUSU central panel – comprising president, vice president, secretary and joint secretary – is shaping up as a direct face-off between the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).

The Left bloc, represented by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) in alliance with the All India Students Association (AISA), will hope to spring a surprise in a race. To be sure, SFI last won a seat on the DUSU panel in 1979.

This year carries particular weight due to a massive case of defacement led the Delhi High Court to withhold results for two months in 2023, sparking calls for a more disciplined process. The university has since promised “green and clean” polls, but Tuesday’s scenes showed how fragile that promise is.