Delhi University, JNU students union polls: Voting underway; 'close contest', say observers

The students of Delhi University (DU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) will cast their votes on Friday to elect their students representatives.

New Delhi: Polling is currently underway on Friday in the two politically active varsities - University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) - for the post of President, Vice-President, Secretary and Joint Secretary.

The elections for the morning colleges of the Delhi University (DU) started at 8.30 am across 117 booths set up at 51 colleges of Delhi University and end at 12.30 pm, while the elections for the evening colleges will start at 3 pm and end at 7 pm.

Meanwhile, the polling in the JNU started at 9 am and will go on till 5 pm.

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) election today, voting underway. pic.twitter.com/iIgVWNJK5j

— ANI (@ANI_news) September 9, 2016

Approximately 1,23,241 voters will be voting in 51 colleges to select the president, vice-president, secretary and general secretary of the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU).

In JNU, approximately 9,000 students will be voting to select the president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary of their union.

The DU elections are conducted by the university authorities, but the JNU polls are managed by the students. While both the universities will go to polls today, the results will be declared on Saturday for DU and on Monday for JNU.

In DU, it is a three-way fight between the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress, and the All India Students Association (AISA), the youth wing of the Communist Party of India Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML).

For the past three years, ABVP has been winning the DUSU polls, so this time their slogan is ‘ABVP Once More’. NSUI and AISA are going with ‘Vote for Change’.

The JNU elections will be closely watched this year as the university was rocked by protests early this year that snowballed into a political fire-storm after some student leaders, including JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, were arrested on charges of sedition.

Kumar’s All India Students’ Federation (AISF) may have decided to sit out the JNU students’ union (JNUSU) elections but they are giving outside support to the alliance between All India Students’ Association (AISA) Students Federation of India (SFI).

The alliance of the left has been formed to avert ABVP from winning a seat. Last year, ABVP had won a joint secretary position in JNUSU.

"It is going to be a close fight. But we are confident of winning," Angellica Aribam, National General Secretary of NSUI said.

At JNU, the candidates not only campaign but also have to debate. On late Wednesday night, the presidential debate was held in which all presidential candidates laid out their election agenda.

In DU, the organisations fight elections on students’ issues like hostel accommodation, university special bus services and students’ safety.

JNU, DU elections: All you need to know

Polling in JNU: September 9

Counting of votes: September 9-12

Results: September 12

Total voters: 9,000 approximately

Voting in DU election: September 9

Results: September 10

Total voters: 1,23,241 approximately