DUSU Election 2026: ABVP’s Yash Dabas leads president race after first round of counting

ABVP's Yash Dabas was leading in the early trends for the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president's post on Saturday, followed by NSUI's Vijay Shankar Meena, as counting of votes got underway at the university's North Campus. The results will determine the composition of the DUSU central panel for the 2026-27 academic session, in a contest that has drawn keen interest as the RSS-affiliated ABVP, Congress-backed NSUI and the Left alliance of AISA-SFI vie for dominance in one of the country's most high-profile student union elections.

Last year, the ABVP won the posts of president, secretary and general secretary while NSUI secured only the vice-president's post. After the first round of counting on Saturday, Dabas had secured 1,305 votes, while Meena was at 1,191 votes and Left alliance candidate Ananya Raturi had polled 288 votes. A total of 3,270 votes were counted in the first round. Only one round of counting has been completed so far, with the second round having just begun, officials said.

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Counting of votes for the four central panel posts as well as college union representatives began at 8 am at the Multipurpose Hall of the University Sports Stadium, with anticipation running high over the fate of key outfits, especially in light of the recent student agitation over the paper leak issue. Polling for the elections was held on Friday across several colleges. A total of 1,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) were deployed for the elections, of which 960 were used for polling and 40 kept in reserve, university officials said.

The EVMs were securely transported by police to the counting venue after polling concluded on Friday evening. More than 2,000 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed across Delhi University, with restrictions imposed on key roads and heightened security around the counting centre. Student welfare, campus facilities, hostel accommodation and safety were among the key issues raised during the campaign, particularly following the collapse of a five-storey PG building in Satya Niketan earlier this month, which left seven people dead, including students. Delhi also saw a student agitation, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), in June-July over the issues of NEET paper leak and examination reforms.

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Police personnel have been deployed at strategic points, while foot patrols, motorcycle teams and PCR vans are maintaining a visible presence across the campuses. Paramilitary personnel have also been deployed at key locations as part of the multi-layered security arrangements, an officer said. The traffic curbs, announced in a university advisory, remained in force on Saturday until the declaration of results. Police are coordinating with university authorities and college administrations on entry and exit points, student movement and other logistical arrangements for the counting process, officials said.