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ABVP claims dominance in Delhi University polls, securing key posts, while independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen makes history by winning the Vice-Presidency.
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) secured three central panel posts in the Delhi University Students’ Union elections on Saturday, September 19, 2026. While the student body maintained its hold on the Presidency, Secretary, and Joint Secretary roles, an independent candidate achieved a historic victory by winning the Vice-Presidential position.
The election results reveal a competitive landscape, with the Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing, Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), and left-leaning groups seeing stagnant performance. ABVP’s total winning margin narrowed from 23,873 last year to 9,671 this year, reflecting a closer contest despite a slight increase in voter turnout from 39.5% to 40.46%. The political atmosphere was charged, with recent Jantar Mantar protests and the Satya Niketan tragedy influencing student sentiment and engagement levels.
The Delhi University Students' Union elections showcased a significant shift in voting patterns, particularly in the margins of victory. ABVP’s Presidential candidate, Yash Dabbas, received 24,576 votes, defeating NSUI’s Vijay Shankar Meena, who trailed with 22,523 votes. This represents a victory margin of 2,053, a sharp decline from the 16,196 margin ABVP enjoyed in the previous year.
In the race for Secretary, ABVP’s Riya Chhawdi won with 21,650 votes, defeating NSUI’s Namrata Chaudhary (14,869 votes). The margin for this post actually increased to 6,781 from 3,234 the prior year. However, the Joint Secretary race was the tightest, with ABVP’s Lakshay Raj Singh winning by a mere 813 votes over Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha’s Vishesh Yadav. NSUI came in third in this specific count.
Notably, the Vice-Presidential post was captured by Deepanshu Shokeen, an independent candidate formerly associated with NSUI. Shokeen secured 30,615 votes, winning by the largest margin among the four central posts, far outpacing ABVP’s Ishu Maurya, who received 16,901 votes.
Yash Dabbas emphasized that Delhi University’s Gen-Z voters signaled a belief in "social harmony and nationalism." He stated, “I will work to transform this trust into responsibility and ensure that the voice of every student is represented strongly through the students’ union.” Riya Chhawdi added that the winning team would prioritize student safety, equal opportunities, and addressing the concerns of women students.
BJP National President Nitin Nabin congratulated the ABVP, calling the result a “historic victory” that reflects youth faith in constructive student politics rooted in the “Nation First” spirit. He linked the outcome to the broader vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
Meanwhile, the performance of other political entities remained relatively static. The joint left panel, comprising the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Students’ Federation of India, failed to disrupt the traditional binary. Presidential candidate Ananya Raturi garnered 5,377 votes, finishing third, while the left panel also took third in the Secretary race with 8,734 votes. The Association of Students for Alternative Politics fielded a visually-impaired candidate, Pankaj Kumar Dhingra, for Secretary, who received 7,639 votes.
A notable trend in this year’s poll was the significant use of the 'None of the Above' (NOTA) button. 4,310 students selected NOTA for the Presidential post, 4,359 for Vice-President, 7,884 for Secretary, and 7,389 for Joint Secretary.
The election took place against a backdrop of heightened student activism. Recent protests at Jantar Mantar involving DU students and demonstrations regarding the Satya Niketan tragedy have influenced the political consciousness of the electorate. Although some students noted the visibility of certain organizations during the protests, this did not drastically alter their vote share compared to previous years. The reduction in ABVP’s margins suggests a fragmentation of the traditional vote base or increased competition, even as the party retained control of the major offices.
The ABVP victory in retaining three key posts confirms its structural dominance, yet the independent win and narrowed margins indicate a fracturing of absolute control. With voter turnout rising and NOTA votes surging, students are demanding higher accountability. Future union leadership must address the specific grievances regarding accommodation and safety highlighted by recent tragedies to maintain relevance. The political landscape at Delhi University is shifting from partisan loyalty to issue-based voting, forcing major student organizations to adapt their platforms beyond traditional ideologies.
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