Delhi University announced DUSU elections for 2025–26 on September 18, with counting on September 19.
New rules mandate a ₹1 lakh bond per contesting candidate to prevent campus defacement; triggers protests from student group ASAP.
Guidelines bar rallies, loudspeakers and road shows, restricting campaigning to designated “walls of democracy”.
The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections for the 2025–26 academic year will be held on September 18, with counting scheduled for September 19, the university announced on Wednesday.
According to a DU notification, voting for day classes will be held from 8:30 am to 1 pm, while evening students will cast their votes from 3 pm to 7:30 pm. The last date for submitting nomination papers, along with a ₹500 annual fee and a ₹1 lakh bond, is September 10 by 3 pm. Scrutiny will follow the same day at 3:15 pm, with the list of nominated candidates published by 6 pm. The deadline for withdrawal is September 11 at noon, with the final list released by 5 pm.
The bond requirement, introduced in DU’s August 8 “Guidelines/Measures for Anti-Defacement in and around University/College Campus and for DUSU Elections,” has drawn criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing, the Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP).
State president Kuldeep Bidhuri called it a “Tughlaqi farman” and a “deliberate conspiracy” to keep middle-class students from contesting. “If a student files nominations for all four posts, where will they arrange ₹4 lakh?” he asked. Zakir Husain College unit president Shailesh Yadav likened the bond system to “auctioning” seats to those who can afford it, as reported by PTI.
The guidelines state that each contesting candidate must execute the ₹1 lakh bond to cover any defacement or violation during campaigning. Other provisions include barring rallies, loudspeakers and road shows, limiting posters to designated “walls of democracy,” and encouraging online campaigning. The university can impose fines, suspension or even rustication for violations, according to PTI.
Additional measures include anti-defacement affidavits from students at admission, restricting DUSU office-bearers to designated university venues for programmes, and barring outsiders from campus during elections unless authorised. Biometric or facial recognition entry systems may also be installed.
For DUSU posts, nomination papers must be submitted to the Chief Election Officer’s office at the Conference Centre, opposite the Botany Department in North Campus, while papers for Central Council seats go to respective colleges or departments. The DU notification also noted that the DUSU constitution, code of conduct, and relevant court orders are available on its website.
The university has defended the measures as necessary to maintain campus decorum and safeguard public property, citing Delhi High Court and National Green Tribunal orders, as per PTI.
