ABVP wins 3 of 4 DUSU posts, Independent Shokeen takes VP

The Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections concluded on Saturday with the ABVP securing three out of four central panel positions, while an Independent candidate, Deepanshu Shokeen, emerged victorious in the vice-president's race. Yash Dabas claimed the presidency, Riya Chhawdi was elected secretary, and Lakshya Raj Singh won the joint secretary post.

Shokeen's triumph marked the first time since 2015 that the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) failed to capture a seat on the DUSU central panel. The ABVP last won all four positions in the 2014 and 2015 elections. Shokeen's win signified a rare victory for a non-party candidate in the DUSU central panel, with the last such occurrence in 2009 when Manoj Choudhary won the presidency.

The presidential election remained neck and neck throughout the counting process, with Vijay Shankar Meena, representing the NSUI, leading by just one vote after the ninth round, 10,888 to 10,887. Meena's lead grew to 338 votes after the 11th round, but Dabas eventually clinched victory with 24,576 votes, outpacing Meena by 2,053 votes.

The joint secretary's contest was also closely contested, with Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha candidate Vishesh Yadav initially leading after the seventh round with 6,165 votes, followed by ABVP's Singh with 5,386 and NSUI's Gopal Choudhary with 5,339. Despite remaining narrowly ahead after the 17th round – 13,346 votes to Singh's 13,342 – Singh emerged as the winner with 16,615 votes, while Yadav received 15,778 and Choudhary 15,206 votes.

The vice-president's contest was the most decisive, with Shokeen securing 30,615 votes against the ABVP's Ishu Maurya, who garnered 16,910 votes. NSUI's Vir Chatrath received 4,313 votes. The election, held amid worries over alleged paper leaks, hostel accommodation, campus facilities, and safety, saw a voter turnout of 40.46%, surpassing the 39.45% turnout in 2025 and the 29.7% turnout in 2024.