New Delhi [India], September 20 (ANI): Following the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) winning three of the four central panel posts in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections, ABVP's Yash Dabas, who is the newly elected president, took a swipe at the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stating that he should be able to hear "the voice of the students" at DU.
This comes as the Congress student wing NSUI failed to win a single post out of the four.
Dabas told ANI, "The results are right in front of you, whether it's Punjab or Delhi. ABVP won at Punjab University, and now the students of Delhi University have also crowned the ABVP with victory."
Referring to the recent Satya Niketan building collapse, he said, "We want the MCD to conduct safety audits of every building, be it a hostel, a PG accommodation, or any structure in student areas. If a building is unsafe for students to live in, it should either be sealed or renovated. We do not want the accident that occurred at Satya Niketan to ever happen again. I believe that today, Rahul Gandhi can clearly hear the voice of the students from Delhi University."
ABVP's Riya Chhawdi, who was elected as the Secretary of DUSU, said women's safety would be her top priority. "I want every sister at Delhi University to know that her voice will be heard. Whether they face issues on campus, with the administration, in hostels, in PGs, or anywhere else, I will be the first person available to help," she said. "This result is the ultimate answer, proving that Gen Z stands with us."
Elected as the Joint Secretary of DUSU, ABVP's Lakshya Raj Singh echoed similar sentiments. "We heard 'Yuva Goonj' within Delhi University. Gen Z stands with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The ABVP won the student union elections at Punjab University, with our candidate becoming the president. Gen Z has now answered everyone and demonstrated that they stand with the ABVP. This is because the ABVP is the largest platform and the world's largest student organisation; indeed, the ABVP achieved a resounding 3-1 victory there," he said.
BJP leader Rakesh Sharma said the results showed where the youth stood.
"ABVP won three seats, and an independent won one; since not a single candidate backed by the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, or the Left managed to win, it is proven that the nation's youth place their trust in the current government," he said.
According to the final vote tally after 20 rounds of counting, Dabas won the President post with 24,576 votes, defeating NSUI's Vijay Meena, who secured 22,523 votes. Shokeen won the Vice President post with 30,615 votes, while ABVP's Ishu Maurya received 16,910 votes and NSUI's Virr Chatrath secured 4,313 votes.
For the Secretary post, ABVP's Riya Chhawdi won with 21,650 votes against NSUI's Namrata Chaudhary, who received 14,869 votes. ABVP's Lakshya Raj Singh secured the Joint Secretary post with 16,641 votes, while Independent candidate Vishesh Yadav received 15,778 votes and NSUI's Gopal Choudhary secured 15,106 votes.
The DUSU election campaign focused on key student issues, including safety, accommodation, campus infrastructure, academic facilities and social justice. Student housing remained a major concern following the Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi, which claimed seven lives, including five students. The incident had earlier led to protests by the ABVP and NSUI, demanding accountability and action against those responsible.
A total of 20 candidates representing major student organisations, including ABVP, NSUI, and the alliance of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Students’ Federation of India (SFI), contested the elections. (ANI)
"Rahul Gandhi can clearly hear DU students' voice”: ABVP's Yash Dabas after winning DUSU presidential poll
