New Delhi [India], September 20 (ANI): Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha (SCS)-supported candidate Vishesh Yadav disputed the election outcome, demanding a complete re-poll following the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections 2026, alleging a sudden, suspicious shift in the vote counts during the final round.
According to Yadav, he maintained a steady lead through the initial stages of the counting process, right up until the concluding rounds, alleging that students faced coercion during the electoral phase, with threats of attendance deductions.
"It is a recurring issue that the organisation engages in malpractice during the election or the vote-counting process. Students are coerced into voting for the organisation under the threat of having their attendance deducted if they fail to do so. I was leading right up to the final round of counting. The 20th round involves the counting of votes from six EVMs, ” Vishesh Yadav told ANI.
Questioning the swing, Yadav said, “Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Lakshya Raj had won. What exactly happened that caused me to fall behind by 700 votes? ... This is blatant manipulation directed against a candidate.”
Asserting that he continues to stand up for the students, he called for a re-poll of the disputed rounds and confirmed plans to file a First Information Report (FIR) against those he holds accountable for the alleged discrepancies.
“I want to appeal to the students of Delhi University: Vishesh Yadav remains just as strong today as he was when you voted for him... the fight did not end with the election... I continue to stand up for the students... I am now calling for a re-poll, and I will also file an FIR against those who," Vishesh Yadav said.
The remarks came after ABVP secured three of the four key posts in the DUSU elections, with Yash Dabas winning the President post, Riya Chhawdi securing the Secretary position, and Lakshya Raj Singh winning the Joint Secretary post.
After winning the Joint Secretary position, ABVP's Lakshya Raj Singh said that the organisation worked consistently to address student issues and attributed the victory to the support of students.
"Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad worked steadfastly and addressed all the issues; as you have seen, the ABVP won the presidency at both PU and Delhi University. This demonstrates that the sentiment of Gen Z is with the Vidyarthi Parishad," he told ANI.
Meanwhile, 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.
On the other hand, 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 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.
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)
"Students are coerced": SCS candidate Vishesh Yadav demands re-poll after DUSU defeat; alleges malpractice, attendance intimidation
