The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has secured three of the four major positions in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections for the 2026-27 session. The Vice President’s post, however, has gone to independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen.
Yash Dabas has been elected DUSU President, while Riya Chhawdi has won the Secretary post. Lakshya Raj Singh has been elected Joint Secretary.
The election results were announced on September 19 following a day-long counting process at Delhi University. Polling for the DUSU elections was held on September 18.
Student Issues, Accommodation Among Key Priorities
After their victory, Dabas, Chhawdi and Singh said their immediate focus would be on issues affecting students, campus concerns and accommodation.
The three ABVP winners said they would work towards protecting democratic spaces on campus and addressing concerns raised by the student community.
Accommodation emerged as one of the key issues highlighted by the candidates. Referring to the Satya Niketan incident, they said providing students with access to safe and suitable housing would remain an important priority.
The winners also responded to allegations of election rigging raised by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). They described the allegations as claims and said similar allegations had been made by NSUI in previous elections.
The candidates also alleged that some individuals carrying fake identity cards were found inside the university campus during the election process.
Close Presidential Contest, Independent Win in VP Race
The presidential contest remained closely fought during the counting process. ABVP’s Yash Dabas and NSUI candidate Vijay Shankar Meena exchanged leads during different rounds of counting before Dabas emerged as the winner.
In the Vice President contest, independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen maintained a significant lead during counting and ultimately secured the post.
The outcome means ABVP has three representatives on the four-member central panel, with the remaining position going to an independent candidate.
The winners also discussed the role of Gen Z voters in this year’s election. They said the results showed support for ABVP among young voters and argued that nationalist politics continues to find resonance among Gen Z.
They added that addressing the concerns and aspirations of Gen Z students would be among their priorities during their term.
JP Nadda, Kiren Rijiju Congratulate ABVP Winners
The DUSU results also drew reactions from Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and JP Nadda, along with BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari.
Rijiju congratulated the winning ABVP candidates, as well as the organisation’s cadres and supporters, in a post on X. He described the result as a clear expression of the youth’s voice.
Nadda also congratulated ABVP workers following the organisation’s victory in the President, Secretary and Joint Secretary posts. He said the result reflected young people’s confidence in ABVP’s ideology and commitment, and expressed hope that the organisation would continue promoting patriotism, service and nation building among students.
Bhandari also reacted to the result on X with the post, “Delhi after Chandigarh!” He described the outcome as a victory for what he called truth over falsehood and wrote, “ABVP Wins Big!”
He further connected the result with what he described as patriotism, development and the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while also criticising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
With Dabas winning the President’s post, Chhawdi becoming Secretary and Singh taking the Joint Secretary position, ABVP has secured three of the four central DUSU posts. Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen has won the Vice President’s position.