The Hindu : New Delhi News : Final list of DU nominations announced

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 24, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Final list of DU nominations announced

Staff Reporter

Battle of the ballot for new student union begins on a low, drama-bereft note

NEW DELHI: A little low on colour and drama, the battle of the ballot for Delhi University's new student union leaders began on Tuesday with the announcement of the final list of nominations.

Although the Dean of Students Welfare Office (DSW) witnessed enough slogan shouting and flag display during the morning, the usual drama associated with the elections was clearly missing. While the office of the Chief Election Officer claimed it was because of the heavy security and preventive action taken by them, student organisation said they planned to go full steam only in the next couple of days.

A total of 34 students will be fighting for a place in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) this year, with 15 candidates in the race for the post of president.

Fighting for lost prestige will be the National Students' Union of India's (NSUI) Ragini Nayak, who after losing her crown in a close battle in 2002 to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's (ABVP) Nakul Bharadwaj, has managed to once again win the Congress "vote" for a second chance at the president's post.

But much like last time, the Kirori Mal College student will be up against not just the ABVP cadre strength but also infighting within her own party and resentment in some sections over her candidature.

In all, there are 15 candidates in the fray for the president's post this time including six women candidates, with the ABVP settling for the experienced Sundar Dagar and the United Students' Front (USF) for Harpreet Kaur Gill, while the Indian National Students' Organisation (INSO) will have Arun Kumar Sorot and the All India Students' Association's (AISA) Mohammad Kaif fighting for the top post. In the case of the vice-president's post, the NSUI has fielded outgoing DUSU secretary Amrita Dhawan, while the ABVP has gone for Rahul Sejwal, with Sonia Sehrawat being the candidate from INSO, Deen Dayal for the USF and Arun Kumar for the AISA.

There are seven candidates in all fighting for the post of secretary, with the ABVP fielding Ajay Kumar, the NSUI Ramit Sehrawat, the INSO going for Arjun Arya and the USF declaring Archana Yadav as their candidate. From the AISA's side, Abhay Kumar Dubey will be contesting.

The battle for the joint secretary's post will be this year between NSUI's A.A.Deepak Chaudhary, the ABVP's Gargi Lakhanpal, INSO's Mandeep Singh, USF's Hemant Kumar and Mohit Ranjan from AISA.

Security has been, meanwhile, beefed up on the campus to ensure that no organisation flouts the norms laid down. From extra checking to ensure that no more posters are plastered in the city, to entry being barred for outsiders to any college during the campaigning and election period, nothing is being left to chance.

"We organised the first of its kind meeting with all the candidates this morning after the nominations were announced. It was a very cordial meeting and we told them to ensure a violence free election. As of now we are very happy with the way they are conducting themselves'' said Rajeev Khanna, the Chief Election Officer.

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