Delhi University goes to poll Friday amidst tight security

NEW DELHI - Fifty-one colleges of both the north and south campuses of Delhi University (DU) will go to polls Friday amidst elaborate security arrangements.

The students of morning colleges would be voting between 8.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. while the students of the evening colleges will vote from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The major parties contesting the polls are: Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), All India Students Association (AISA) and Students Federation of India (SFI).

The one issue that is common to all the major parties is the semester system, which is expected to be introduced in DU in the coming days.

The police have been thoroughly patrolling the campuses since the last couple of days.

“Police pickets are set up in front of colleges and plain-clothed policemen are stationed outside all the womens’ colleges,” Gopi Nath, station house officer of Maurice Nagar police station told IANS.

The Election Office of DU had earlier banned posters, stickers and banners on cars and walls. Only handmade posters were allowed to be put up and that too at selected locations.

Furthermore, the candidates have been barred from campaigning in cars or using drums and other musical instruments.

The candidates of the two major students’ organisation are: Harish Choudhary of NSUI and Jitender Chaudhary of ABVP for the president’s post; Vardhan Chaudhary (NSUI) and Priya Dabas (ABVP) for vice-president’s post; Deepika Deshwal (NSUI) and Neetu Dabas (ABVP) for secretary’s post; and Akshay Kumar (NSUI) and Saurabh Uniyal (ABVP) for joint secretary’s post.

Over one lakh students are expected to use 875 electronic voting machines to cast their votes. Around 350 vote totalling machines will be used in the polls.

Established in 1922, Delhi University is a premier varsity of India. It has 14 faculties, 86 academic departments and 79 colleges with over 200,000 students from within and outside the country.