50 colleges, 5 days for campaign

Student groups are concentrating on college outreach campaigns to get a head start ahead of the Delhi University Students’ Union elections, scheduled on September 12.

Some of the probable candidates are already testing the water by taking their campaign from college to college. If shortlisted, they will only have five days to campaign after acceptance of their nominations.

“There is a weekend in between. And that will leave us with only three days,” Delhi state secretary of BJP-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad Saket Bahuguna said.

Considering that the electoral college for the polls consists of students studying in nearly 50 colleges or institutions affiliated to DUSU, five days of campaigning do not seem good enough to those in the fray.

The student outfits say candidates are engaging with students outside college gates, at campus cafeterias and classrooms.

The Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India said it will give scholarships and hold college level sports competitions to engage students.

Membership drive

ABVP is concentrating on its membership drive. “DUSU has fulfilled its mandate, especially on the big issue of rollback of four-year undergraduate programme. We have extended it to August 18,” said Bahuguna, adding that reaching out to almost 1.5 lakh students in nearly 50 DUSU is a lengthy process.

ABVP last year had almost swept the DUSU elections, bagging the most seats, while NSUI managed to win only one seat.

Outreach initiative

‘Our DU, Our Right, Our Fight’ is another outreach initiative taken up by the Left-oriented All India Students’ Association, which too is eyeing a place in the students’ union this year.

AISA member Sunny Kumar said, “It is a struggle to ensure quality and affordable education, transport and accommodation to students. We have revived this campaign to reach out to students and know their demands.”

As part of their campaign, some 11,000 students filled feedback forms on issues that concern them, AISA said.

“Students are also evaluating the work of the outgoing union. And an overwhelming number say the union could have done much more,” Kumar said.