With Delhi University (DU) students set to elect their new student union on September 18, the campus is already seeing a surge in political activity. Counting will take place on September 19, with results expected the same day, as reported by ThePrint. Student organisations are ramping up their outreach efforts, looking to connect with both new and returning students ahead of the polls.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is preparing to launch its ‘My DU, My Manifesto’ campaign from Monday, aiming to gather students’ views and demands to shape its election agenda, according to The Tribune. ABVP Delhi state secretary Sarthak Sharma said that around 19 tentative candidates are currently visiting colleges to interact with students. Sharma was quoted as saying, “Around 19 tentative candidates are regularly going to colleges to meet students for their own welfare. We are getting a good response from students and this year we will target all four positions.”
The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has also intensified its outreach, focusing particularly on first-year students. NSUI media incharge Ravi Pandey said its college units are actively engaging with new students, and about 10–12 aspirant candidates are working across the university. NSUI has launched the ‘May I Help You’ campaign for freshers, aimed at providing support and guidance to those newly entering the university. Pandey stated that the party will not enter into an alliance with any other organisation and will contest all four seats.
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has also thrown its hat into the ring, announcing an 84-member election committee formed at a meeting on Saturday with participation from activists from 28 DU colleges. As reported by ThePrint, the committee elected Sooraj Elamon as chairperson, Nadia as convenor, Mehina Fathima as vice-chairperson, and Noel Benny as co-convenor. The SFI has begun its own campaign, named ‘Dream DU of Dafli Gang’, targeting a “progressive and accessible” education system, and aiming to highlight what it calls the “repeated failure” of past ABVP-NSUI-led DUSU to deliver on promises. The group has also declared its intention to contest the central panel and field candidates in 10 colleges across the university.
The SFI’s approach to the elections is deeply linked to the recent student movement at Jantar Mantar. According to a statement from the SFI Delhi, the organisation connects its campaign to that protest, which it claims led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest, conducted by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), was a 49-day sit-in that was called off on July 25, 2026, after Pradhan resigned and the government agreed to meet its key demands, as ThePrint reported.
The upcoming DUSU elections come against the backdrop of the previous results, where ABVP won three of the four central panel posts, including the presidency, while NSUI took only the vice-presidency, as stated by ThePrint.
While the two major factions gear up and the SFI enters the fray, the election platforms are still evolving. The parties have said that the final candidate lists are yet to be announced. For now, the tentative ABVP list includes Nitin Tanwar, Tushar Baisla, Yash Dabas, Priyanshu Mahamna, Hemant Khokhar, Bhoomika, Lakshayraj Singh, Lavanya Sharma, Sunny Dedha, Riya Malik, and Alok Attri. NSUI’s tentative list includes Deepanshu Shokeen, Gopal Choudhary, Rajat Tomar, Namarta Choudhary, Virr Chatratk, Samarth Beniwaf, Jannat Bisno, Vishesh Yadav, Anjali Sharma, and Sahil Sain.