Festival of democracy: ABVP candidate Lakshay Raj urges students to vote with harmony as DUSU polling begins

The ABVP has fielded Yash Dabas for president, Ishu Maurya for vice-president, Riya Chhawadi for secretary and Lakshya Raj Singh for joint secretary.

Singh appealed to students to exercise their franchise and said the administration was providing full support and had deployed personnel to ensure that no untoward incidents or altercations took place during polling.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "This is a festival of democracy; celebrate it with enthusiasm, but cast your votes for your respective candidates with love and harmony."

"The administration is providing full support. The entire administration is present here to ensure that no untoward incidents or altercations occur. I also appeal to the students: this election lasts for only one day. You are free to vote for whomever you wish, but please do not let this process damage your bonds of brotherhood or personal relationships," he added.

Singh also urged students to come out and vote, stressing the importance of voting in a democracy.

"I also urge everyone -- since voting is crucial in a democracy -- to come out and cast their votes. I am contesting for the post of Joint Secretary representing the ABVP. We have released our manifesto for 2026; it outlines all our key initiatives -- such as addressing accommodation and placement issues, establishing 'Pink Booths,' and more," he said.

Meanwhile, a student from DU's Aryabhatta College said he considered issues related to students' demands and the role of candidates during the Satya Niketan building collapse while casting his vote.

"While voting, I took note of issues like who raised demands of students and who was present and helped students during the Satya Niketan building collapse," the student told ANI.

As polling got underway, Niharika Bhatt, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North District), said adequate security arrangements had been made across the university."We have sufficient police and outside force on the ground for the elections. Around 1500 police personnel are deployed," Bhatt said.

Voting for the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) Elections 2026 began on Friday, while counting of votes is scheduled to take place on September 19.

Meanwhile, security arrangements have been strengthened across Delhi Universitys North Campus as students head to polling booths.The Delhi Police has divided the campus into five zones and 23 sectors to ensure smooth voting and prevent any untoward incident.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Addl DCP) Pukhraj K Gupta said zonal and sector-level officers have been deployed, while pickets and barricades have been placed at college gates and key checkpoints.

According to the ABVP, its panel is contesting all four central posts on ballot number 7-3-3-3. The organisation said its candidates and workers interacted with students during the campaign and raised issues concerning campus life.

The ABVP said its electoral agenda focuses on better infrastructure, quality education, womens safety and a more active and accountable students union. It also expressed confidence that its panel would win all four seats in the September 18 election, describing the expected result as a 4-0 victory. (ANI)