Free stationary, movie tickets, and even burgers – the range of freebies being offered ahead of the Delhi University Students’ Union election on September 27 is extensive. But they are not the only campaign tactic deployed by student leaders and parties. Even noise is.

For example, the firecrackers that exploded and the swarm of luxury four-wheelers that honked at a rally of the Congress’s students wing NSUI, at Gate 4 of the Arts Faculty ahead of filing of nominations last week. An NSUI supporter insisted that “loud sounds ensure that students hear about the candidates, leaving an imprint even when they’re unaware”. The theme of that NSUI campaign was to “save DU from a culture of fear and violence”.

Apart from these large rallies triggering traffic snarls around campuses, there is a familiar mix of paper waste and defacing of public property, through posters and pamphlets. And also the chasing of voters, literally. 

“Some ABVP guys followed me from the start of the road all the way to my college,” claimed a male student from St Stephen’s College. “They just laughed and drove off.” But a campaigner from the ABVP – the students’ wing of the RSS – dismissed this behaviour as harmless.

Much of the canvassing is in blatant disregard for nearly all the rules outlined by the Lyngdoh Committee, formed to reform student politics. But more on that later.

The parties and the issues

There are 21 eligible candidates this year, with eight contesting for the post of president, five for vice-president, and four each for the posts of joint secretary and secretary in the central panel. And more than 1 lakh eligible voters.

Snapshots of campaigning across the university.

The ABVP has nominated Rishabh Chaudhary for president, Bhanu Pratap Singh for vice president, Mitravinda Karanwal for secretary, and Aman Kapasia for joint secretary. The NSUI, on the other hand, has fielded Rounak Khatri for president, Yash Nandal for vice president, Namrata Jeph Meena for secretary, and Lokesh Choudhary for joint secretary. 

Last year, ABVP won three seats while NSUI got one. 

For the ABVP, the main poll issues are ‘one course, one fee structure’ for all PG courses, central allocation of university hostels, and scholarships for SC/ST, OBC and EWS categories.  While the NSUI is campaigning around issues such as campus infrastructure, transparency in exams, and increased representation of students in college decision-making.

Meanwhile, Left student outlets AISA and SFI, which are contesting two seats each in an alliance, are talking about privatisation, fee hike, a change in attendance policy, women safety, and the four-year undergraduate programme. DISHA, which is contesting the poll only for the presidential seat, is focussing on issues like fee hike, free speech, hostel accommodation, and the National Education Policy, among others. 

Also in the fray are groups like the Fraternity Movement, which is contesting only for the president’s post and stressing on administrative reforms, infrastructure reforms, and transparency in scholarship procedures, among others.

The freebies: From pens to pizzas

Days before the nominations began on September 19, ABVP supporters handed out pens and water bottles outside Ramjas College, while NSUI members distributed small diaries emblazoned with the party’s mission statement and a message from their national president at Kirori Mal College. While these students were donning sports tags and stickers with the candidates’ names, the merchandise did not display any name – it could potentially lead to cancellation of nomination.

Meanwhile, at SGTB Khalsa College, ABVP set up a welcome desk for freshers, offering bookmarks and diaries with the slogan, “Join ABVP”. At an ABVP rally near the Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College last week, freebies extended to food items like samosa and rasgulla.

Hostels have been in special focus. “We get pizza, McDonald's burgers, and Pepsi during election season, right three to four days before polling,” claimed a Hindu College student residing in the girls’ hostel. 

Some even got free movie tickets. “Last year, we were given tickets for Jawan. We’re eager to see which film we’ll get this year,” claimed a student from Motilal College.

Promises of trips are also common. Last year,  a student outfit took several students to a water park in Delhi; this year, similar excursions are anticipated. 

But opinions vary on the impact of freebies. “There are other issues I’d rather vote on than focus on which party gave me what,” said Arun*, a BA Programme student from Hansraj College. Jayant from Dyal Singh, which has 13,000 student voters, said his “moral ground doesn’t allow me to accept freebies; voting in exchange for them is out of the question.” 

However, Rashi, a first-year student from Sri Aurobindo College, admitted, “Of course we take the freebies, and if it’s from a party or candidate I recognise, I’ll vote for them.”

Hooliganism

“Hooliganism is just one way to attract student attention; they think it will translate into votes,” said Priya, a history student from Miranda House.

On September 19, the day nominations were filed, the commotion was palpable at the Faculty of Arts, with slogans that ranged from “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” to repetitive chants of candidates’ names. Meanwhile, parties like DISHA, which rallied on September 18, raised slogans like “FYUP wapis lo” and “Muscle politics ko chot karo.”

Another rule specifies that “no candidate shall make use of printed posters, pamphlets, or any other printed material for canvassing”. But the road leading up to North Campus is lined with banners. Every available surface, from benches to walls, is plastered with promotional materials, with party rivalry visible in the use of spray paint obscuring original text. 

“This happens every year, and commotion follows us,” said Gauri, a third-year economics honours student at Hindu College. “You’ll hardly find any difference, especially between the two big parties (NSUI and ABVP).” 

The situation is not any different at the road leading to South Campus, with posters spilling into the streets outside hostels and PGs, in Satya Niketan and around Venkateshwara College.

Some are trying to clean up. After an ABVP rally at North Campus on September 18, the party’s “Students for Development” initiative stepped in to clean up the premises. But usually it’s the sanitation staff under MCD which has been cleaning campuses.

In an order on September 22, the chief election officer asked candidates to “only use the wall of democracies available in the campus of University of Delhi/Colleges for pasting handmade posters only”. 

Different candidates, different approaches

Mitravinda, a third-year undergraduate student who is the ABVP candidate for DUSU secretary, said the Lyngdoh rules need changes. “We adhere to the guidelines and follow them closely, but the financial restriction in Lyngdoh limits us to Rs 5,000 for campaigning, so these rules need updating.”

“While it depends on candidates, I avoid using resources on extra pamphlets or cards. I believe in ‘friendly campaigning’ and rely on my voice and interactions with students,” said Namrata Jeph, a third-year undergraduate student who is the NSUI’s secretary candidate. 

Campaigning often involves moving from one class to another, with parties deploying varying group sizes. Some have groups of 10, while others have four to six members. SFI employs one person to canvas class to class. “They talk about their party’s issues and distribute cards,” said Harshita from Laxmibai College.

As part of one-on-one campaigning, campaigners, identifiable by tags, approach individual students to explain why they should vote for their party, in public spots like canteens, grounds, and common areas. “We approach them to help them understand our party and candidate, though some refuse to engage,” said Nimit*, an NSUI supporter.

A new trend involves sharing social media handles and links to WhatsApp groups. As students scan QR codes, they join groups promoting candidates’ activities. “Social media campaigning is crucial for reaching students who aren’t on campus when we rally,” said Saavy Gupta, the presidential candidate from SFI-AISA.

College societies are also used to build support. These societies are often promised “better practice and meeting rooms” or amenities like air conditioning, according to Ayush from the drama society of ARSDC.

“I’m the president of my college’s dance society, and my support for them translates into my society members backing them too; it’s a way to build my network,” said Nimisha* (college name withheld). 

While most students who spoke to Newslaundry denied that caste and region played any role in their voting decisions, Mahesh, an undergraduate student from KMC, claimed, “They ask for votes in our college based on where we’re from, and since I’m from Rajasthan, they expect me to vote for the candidate from there.”

The Lyngdoh Committee states, “No candidate shall indulge in, nor shall abet, any activity that may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred.” 

Most candidates who have been elected to DUSU over the last few decades have been upper caste, especially from the Jat and Gurjar communities.

Women voters

The Delhi High Court has directed the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University to ensure 50 percent women’s reservation in DUSU elections. Consequently, almost all parties have backed women candidates this year. Of the 21 candidates in the fray, nine are women.

“I support them, putting in equal effort, but you can see how much space the men take up in campaigning,” claimed an NSUI supporter, speaking anonymously. 

The rallies and muscle power make some women students uncomfortable. “It feels unsafe during election time. On regular days, we could hang out until 11 pm, but now we try to leave by 7,” said Bhawana, a philosophy major from Miranda House.

Students from South Campus share similar sentiments. “I didn’t vote last time because I was concerned about potential violence,” said Tejaswi, a B Com student from Sri Aurobindo College. 

“We were just two students, and suddenly five to six male campaigners surrounded us, trying to talk about their party. It was uncomfortable,” said Radha*, an English student at KMC.

‘Inaction’

Amid the campaigning, the university special bus was revived by incumbent DUSU president Tushar Dedhaa on September 17 – two days before nominations. “While it’s nice to travel by bus instead of walking, the timing is too political to ignore,” said Hridansh, a third-year student at Hansraj College. 

Badee U Zaman, a final year postgraduate student who is running for president on behalf of the Fraternity Movement, claimed the university or poll officials are not acting against flagrant violations of rules. 

“If you look at campaigning the only allotted amount for it is Rs 5,000…the roadshow and events in North campus during the election is not legal…but Delhi university or officials are not taking any actions against them because they are ruled by them.”

Zaman’s outfit claimed their secretary candidate from Ramjas college wasn’t allowed to file his nomination by NSUI supporters. The party had made similar allegations last year.

The NSUI and ABVP denied all the allegations against them. 

Harsh Attri, the state secretary of ABVP Delhi, said, “Those who engage in violence or hooliganism often lack the credibility to represent students, and resort to such tactics to force votes. ABVP on the other hand focuses on fostering an overall positive university environment for students”. 

NSUI’s national president Varun Choudhary said, “Allegations of such behaviour linked to our party are entirely unfounded and contradict the values we represent. We believe in peaceful, democratic processes and are committed to upholding student welfare.” 

Newslaundry reached out to proctor Rajni Abbi for comment. This report will be updated if a response is received.

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