Election fever grips Delhi University

New Delhi, Sep 7: Delhi University authorities are gearing up to ensure smooth conduct of the September 12 students union polls for which campaigning process has intensified.

"With the nomination process coming to an end, we have started making the arrangements for the EVMs. DU is the only Indian university to use electronic voting machines for student elections," DU Faculty and Chief Election Commissioner D S Rawat said.

The practice of videography of polling centres as well as surrounding areas has also been strengthened this time with a committee in place which will be ensuring zone wise videography, the CEC said.

"We have directed installation of more CCTV cameras as well as commercial videographers will be hired to record the election activities," he added.

Various student groups declared their candidates for the four crucial posts on Friday, for the keenly contested polls. The Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India (NSUI) has fielded Gaurav Tushir, a first year student of Motilal Nehru College for the post of President, Mona Chaudhury of Law faculty as the Vice Presidential candidate, Amit Singh Timma and Abhishek Chaudhury of Faculty of Arts for the post of Secretary and Joint Secretary respectively.

BJP's Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has declared Mohit Nagar and Parvesh Malik of Buddhist Studies as their presidential and vice presidential candidates. The candidature of Parvesh Malik has attracted objection from the authorities as well as other organisations, in the backdrop of a case pending against him.

He was booked along with 14 others for his alleged involvement in a group clash at the fest of a DU college in February last year. "He has been served with a show cause notice and police have been approached as well to check the facts and status of the complaint. If his candidature is not found in compliance with the rules, it will be canceled," Rawat said.

Those nominated by ABVP for the post of Secretary and Joint Secretary are Kanika Shekhawat of ARSD College and Ashutosh Mathur of Zakir Hussain College.

While ABVP is trying to encash on the scrapping of Four Year Undergraduate programme (FYUP), which was on its agenda for the last year's DUSU polls, NSUI is raising issues of right to accommodation and alleged racial discrimination against the students from the Northeast.

PTI