After a gap of almost five years, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) made a comeback bagging the top post of president in Delhi University Students? Union (DUSU) on September 6. Nupur Sharma of ABVP won the post with a margin of almost 1700 votes. The posts of vice president and secretary, which went to NSUI, exhibited slander margins of 848 and 611 votes respectively. The highest number of votes?10,345?cast in favour of Nupur Sharma indicated students? new choice. Elections were held on September 5.
Though all other posts went to the NSUI, the margin of victory, except for the joint secretary'sposition, heralds a substantial change in the much-hyped elections that saw the NSUI ruling for years. However, the show this time was pregnant with all characteristics that constitute mature politics?quota, caste, creed, region and religion?all played a part. Nupur Sharma defeated the NSUI'sSonia Sapra of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College. ?Though NSUI may have won three seats, the president is from ABVP and that makes our party a winner.?
Commenting on the poll outcome, Prof Rajkumar Bhatia, former ABVP president and senior ABVP leader, alleged that the Congress made this election an ?uneven battle?. ?The Congress pushes its full strength in this election every year. A majority of the senior party leaders work round-the-clock for it with full energy. The money spent in this election is not less than any other election fought for assembly or Lok Sabha. It has made it an uneven battle. Despite it we won the post of president and the margin over two seats has been less than 1000 votes. Making it an uneven battle is not a healthy sign for the students? politics. Every time for the last few years the Congress takes this election to high pitch, which is going in wrong direction,? added Prof. Bhatia.
?We have won the major decision-making post in DUSU. It being a presidential body, DUSU will be ruled by ABVP now,? said Shri Nakul Bhardwaj, an ABVP activist and former president of DUSU. Being an alumnus of Hindu College and a student of the Faculty of Arts, Nupur Sharma managed to garner votes largely through her experience.
?We are happy even though we had anticipated positive results for the other three posts also,? said Niharika Sharma, Delhi state secretary of ABVP. Soon after the results were declared the supporters of ABVP broke into an impromptu jig on drumbeats to celebrate the win.
(FOC)
