Polling underway at DU, JNU for student body elections

NEW DELHI: Students of Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University today queued up at various polling centres at their respective campuses to cast their votes for the elections to their union bodies.

Over 50 candidates in the two premier varsities are vying for the student body posts in these polls.

Voting for Delhi University Students Union' ( DUSU) posts is taking place in two phases with 127 polling booths having been set up at 42 colleges under the varsity.

"There are a total of 1,35,298 voters and the voting is taking place across 42 colleges of the university. While the first phase began at 8.30 A.M. and will go on till 12.30 P.M., the next phase starts at 3 P.M." said DS Rawat, the Chief Election Commissioner for DUSU polls.

"Our observers are monitoring all the college campuses to ensure that there are no discrepancies while police teams are also undertaking patrolling to prevent any untoward incidents," he added.

Polling for the DUSU polls will conclude by 7.30 P.M. in the evening with the counting of votes to be taken up in the morning tomorrow.

A total of 35 candidates are in the fray for the four posts of DUSU office-bearers. While nine of them are in the race for the post of DUSU president, eight are fighting for the vice-president's seat.

The number of students contesting the posts of secretary and joint secretary are, respectively, 10 and eight.

While the DUSU polls have, traditionally, over the decades pitted the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) against BJP's Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in a two-sided contest, AAP's students' wing, Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) is this time seeking to give a tough fight to them buoyed by the party's victory in the Assembly polls earlier this year.

Meanwhile, polling in JNU was underway at five centres with the exercise to end by 5.30 P.M.

"So far, the voter turnout is low; but polling is expected to pick up pace from the afternoon onwards. Counting of votes will begin at 9 P.M. tonight amidst tight security.

Since, we use paper ballots and the counting is done manually, the process is expected to go on till Sunday morning," the CEC for JNU polls, Praveen Thallapelli, said.

A total of 22 candidates are in the fray for the JNUSU Central Panel that has the posts of president, vice-president, general secretary and joint secretary.

Another 83 candidates are fighting it out for the posts of councillors at all the centres of the university.

"Among the outfits contesting the JNUSU elections are AISA, AISF, ABVP, SFI, NSUI, DSF and Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association.