DUSU polls 2024: Stricter measures to curb repeated violations in students' union elections

NEW DELHI: Delhi University is planning to introduce stricter measures to stop the use of "money and muscle power" in the students union elections, after issues in this year's polls led to a Delhi High Court intervention. A committee on poll reforms met on Tuesday to discuss potential measures to curb repeated violations of election guidelines, which included overspending by candidates and extensive defacement of public property.

The committee also deliberated on reserving seats for women in the student union elections. This year, DU faced criticism from the court for failing to enforce Lyngdoh Committee guidelines and National Green Tribunal (NGT) rules. Large-scale graffiti and posters plastered across public spaces and university walls led to complaints, prompting the court to order the varsity to compensate civic agencies for the cleanup costs.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has since demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore, citing the extensive cleanup undertaken across its 12 zones.

"A major concern discussed in the meeting was the defacement of public property during elections, which drew the court’s directives,” said a DU official on condition of anonymity. “We are exploring reform measures to address these issues, but they are still in the deliberation stage and will require further meetings to establish clear policies,” the official added.

DU plans to strengthen rule enforcement

The Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, established to ensure fair and responsible conduct in student elections, limit campaign spending to Rs 5,000 per candidate. However, candidates are frequently seen flouting this rule with high-end cars, oversized banners, and expensive promotional materials, which undermine the guidelines' purpose. This year’s elections saw DU campuses flooded with printed posters and banners, despite rules strictly prohibiting such materials.

To address these issues, DU plans to strengthen rule enforcement and is expected to present a report to the court on November 11, when the court is slated to hear the matter. The DUSU election results have been stalled for over a month now due to a court order requiring the defacement to be cleared before the results can be announced. This is the first time the results have been delayed. The elections were held on September 27, and the results were originally scheduled to be released on September 28.