New Delhi: North Campus abuzz with excitement DUSU polls, Students throng polling booths to cast votes

New Delhi : Tea stalls and eateries were decorated with posters bearing candidates’ names and photos while pamphlets were strewn all over Delhi University’s North Campus as students turned up in large numbers to cast their votes for the university’s student body elections. Supporters of various student groups were seen raising slogans at the campus intersection, reiterating the poll promises of the student organisations taking part in the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) election.

Twenty-four candidates are in the fray for the DUSU polls being held after a gap of three years. While students of day classes were allowed to cast their votes till 1 pm, those from the evening classes could cast their votes from 3 pm to 7:30 pm.

Around one lakh students are eligible to vote in the election, which also acts as a stepping stone for budding politicians. The election serves as a crucial platform for students to voice their concerns, elect their representatives and shape the course of campus life for the academic year ahead. The Ratan Tata Library and JP tea stall have become a hub of discussions over the election. Even the rickshaw pullers and autorickshaw drivers were seen discussing the possible outcome of the student body election. Many first-year students were seen filming the scenes on the campus. They also took selfies after casting their votes. Around 500 security personnel have been deployed at Delhi University’s North Campus for the election.

Adequate arrangements have also been made in the South Campus of the university for the polls. More than 10 station house officers have been deployed to ensure security at the colleges while 25 police motorcycles are patrolling the area, police said. Police personnel were seen patrolling the campus to ensure no untoward incident took place. The DUSU polls were last held in 2019. The election could not be held in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 while possible disruptions to the academic calendar prevented its conduct in 2022. The counting of votes will be taken up on Saturday.