DUSU election: ABVP’s Yash Dabas to fight NSUI’s Vijay Shankar Meena for president’s post

New Delhi: Yash Dabas of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) will face off with Vijay Shankar Meena of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) for the post of Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) President in the student body’s election on September 18.

In all, 25 candidates were cleared to contest for the President’s post after scrutiny in the afternoon on Friday, the last day for withdrawal of names.

Voting will take place on September 18 in two shifts – 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7.30 p.m., and the results will be declared on September 19. Nearly 2.75 lakh students are eligible to cast the ballot.

The ABVP, the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has named Ishu Maurya for the post of Vice-President, Riya Chhawadi will contest for secretary, and Lakshyaraj Singh has been named the candidate for joint secretary.

Yash Dabas is a resident of Kanjhawala in West Delhi, a graduate from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College and an international-level tennis player.

The NSUI, the student wing of the Indian National Congress, has named Veer Chhatrath for vice president, Namrata Chaudhary for secretary and Gopal Chaudhary for joint secretary.

The DUSU 2026 election has assumed special significance as these come in the backdrop of the Gen Z protest at Jantar Mantar in July over exam irregularities and a PG building collapse in Satya Niketan, exposing the chronic shortage of hostels in the university.

After the scrutiny of nominations for all the posts, as many as 20 candidates were approved for the post of vice president, 24 for secretary and 19 for joint secretary.

Though the DUSU elections have traditionally been a direct fight between the ABVP and NSUI, student outfits of the Aam Aadmi Party and the Left also contest these university elections.

The AAP’s student wing – Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP) – has named Ashmit Kumar Panwar for the DUSU President’s post and Pankaj Kumar for Secretary.

The Left-backed All India Students’ Association (AISA) has named Ananya as its presidential candidate.

IANS