ABVP wins key posts in DUSU elections

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) emerged victorious in the recent Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections, securing important posts, including Vice-President and Secretary.

Bhanu Pratap, the candidate for Vice-President, won with 24,166 votes, defeating his rivals by a margin of 8,762 votes. Mritvinda, the Secretary candidate, received 16,703 votes, winning by 1,467 votes.

The ABVP also claimed counselor positions in most colleges, with 148 ABVP candidates securing positions across DUSU and non-DUSU affiliated colleges.

Reflecting on their victory at a press conference in the national capital on Thursday, ABVP Delhi State Secretary Harsh Attri thanked the university and police administration for ensuring peaceful elections. “We appreciate the administration for ensuring that the elections were conducted smoothly,” Attri said.

However, the ABVP acknowledged that it did not win all the seats. Attri explained the reasons for the losses of two positions on the DUSU panel. “There were mainly two reasons for this. First, the High Court’s announcement of a delay in the counting process led to some confusion, and many students did not show up to vote,” Attri noted. “Second, ABVP may not have met the high expectations that Delhi University students have of us,” he added. Despite the losses, Attri pointed out that the margin of just 1,300 votes between the presidential candidates indicated that students did not necessarily prefer the NSUI but instead had even higher expectations from the ABVP.

Further, the 70th national convention of the ABVP concluded successfully at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University from November 22-24, with participation from delegates across the country. The convention addressed critical issues such as quality education, price rise and the ongoing violence in Manipur. ABVP’s National President Prof Rajsharan Shahi and National General Secretary Yajnavalkya Shukla led the discussions, which also focused on India’s cultural heritage and the future of students.

One key event during the convention was the "Manavandana Yatra", organised to mark the 300th birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar. The yatra, which began from Prayagraj and Ayodhya, reached Gorakhpur on November 21 and was received by ABVP leaders. “This yatra is a tribute to Ahilyabai’s contributions to India’s cultural and social heritage,” said Prof. Shahi.

During the three-day event, Shukla presented the Secretary’s Report, detailing ABVP’s activities, including a massive membership drive that saw over 5.5 million new members enrolled for the 2024-25 term. The convention also saw the re-election of Dr Rajsharan Shahi as National President and Dr Virendra Singh Solanki as National General Secretary for the 2024-25 term.

At the convention, ABVP passed five key resolutions addressing national concerns. These included proposals on improving the quality of education, tackling food adulteration, condemning the violence in Manipur and addressing the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh.

“We strongly condemn the ongoing violence in Manipur and demand a peaceful resolution,” Shukla said. He also voiced the ABVP’s concern over the persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh, urging immediate action to stop the violence against Jains, Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists.

The organisation also called for reforms to improve the quality and accessibility of education, as well as stronger enforcement of food safety laws to address the growing issue of food adulteration.