DUSU Election 2026: ABVP’s Yash Dabas Leads Presidential Race After Round 6, Independent Ahead in VP Contest

Yugcharan News / 19-09-2026

Counting of votes for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections 2026-27 continued on Saturday at the Multipurpose Hall of the University Sports Stadium in North Campus, with the presidential contest witnessing several changes in the lead during the initial rounds. After six rounds of counting, ABVP candidate Yash Dabas moved ahead of NSUI’s Vijay Shankar Meena, while independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen maintained a substantial lead in the vice-presidential race.

The counting began on Saturday morning amid heightened security arrangements across Delhi University. The process, initially scheduled to begin at 8 am, was delayed by around 90 minutes and eventually started after candidates inspected the electronic voting machines. The university administration and police had made extensive arrangements around the counting centre and the strong room to prevent any disruption during the declaration of results.

According to the latest figures available after the sixth round, Yash Dabas of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad had secured 7,346 votes for the president's post, while National Students' Union of India candidate Vijay Shankar Meena had received 6,760 votes. Dabas was therefore ahead by 586 votes at that stage. Around 22 rounds of counting were expected, meaning the numbers remained subject to change as the counting process continued.

The presidential contest has been closely watched throughout the election because of the direct contest between ABVP and NSUI candidates, with AISA-SFI alliance candidate Ananya Raturi also in the fray. The early trends changed during the first few rounds, demonstrating the evolving nature of the counting process.

Presidential Race Sees Multiple Lead Changes

In the first round, ABVP's Yash Dabas was ahead with 1,305 votes, while NSUI's Vijay Shankar Meena had 1,191 votes. AISA-SFI alliance candidate Ananya Raturi had 288 votes at that stage.

The second round brought a change in the order. Meena moved ahead of Dabas after receiving 2,712 votes against Dabas's 2,448. The NSUI candidate's lead at that point reflected the closely contested nature of the presidential race.

However, subsequent rounds again shifted the advantage towards Dabas. By the fifth round, Dabas had a narrow lead, with 5,790 votes compared with Meena's 5,737. After the sixth round, his lead had increased further to 586 votes.

The figures remained provisional as counting continued, and the final result was yet to be declared at the time of the latest update.

Independent Candidate Maintains Lead in Vice-President Race

The vice-presidential contest showed a different trend, with independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen holding a sizeable lead over candidates from ABVP and NSUI.

After the sixth round, Shokeen had secured 9,379 votes. ABVP's Ishu Maurya was in second place with 4,819 votes, while NSUI's Vir Chatrath had received 1,337 votes.

The independent candidate had already established a substantial advantage in earlier rounds. After the fifth round, Shokeen had 7,655 votes, compared with 3,939 votes for Maurya and 1,117 votes for Chatrath. The gap between Shokeen and Maurya at that stage stood at 3,716 votes.

The vice-presidential numbers therefore remained significantly different from the presidential contest, where the two principal candidates were separated by a much smaller margin after the sixth round.

ABVP Candidate Leads Secretary Race

The secretary's post was also showing an advantage for ABVP. Riya Chhawadi had secured 6,425 votes after the sixth round, while NSUI candidate Namrata Chaudhary had received 4,510 votes.

Chhawadi had established an early lead during counting. After the second round, she had 2,146 votes against Chaudhary's 1,765 votes.

The joint secretary contest was more fragmented, with candidates from the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, ABVP and NSUI all recording substantial vote totals.

SCS candidate Vishesh Yadav was leading with 5,413 votes after the sixth round. ABVP's Lakshay Raj Singh had 4,513 votes, while NSUI's Gopal Choudhary had 4,145 votes.

The figures showed that the four central posts were witnessing different patterns, with the presidential race remaining closely contested while independent and non-ABVP/NSUI candidates were also performing strongly in some positions.

40.46 Per Cent Voter Turnout Recorded

Polling for the DUSU elections was held on Friday across 52 polling centres in two phases. The election recorded a voter turnout of 40.46 per cent, described in the live updates as the highest in three years.

Last year's voter turnout was reported at 39.5 per cent.

A total of 20 candidates were in the contest for the four principal DUSU positions. Seven candidates contested for president, five for vice-president, four for secretary and four for joint secretary. The major student organisations in the contest included ABVP, NSUI and the AISA-SFI alliance, besides independent candidates and candidates from other student groups.

The presidential candidates included Yash Dabas for ABVP, Vijay Shankar Meena for NSUI and Ananya Raturi for the AISA-SFI alliance. The ABVP panel also included Ishu Maurya for vice-president, Riya Chhawadi for secretary and Lakshya Raj Singh for joint secretary.

The NSUI panel consisted of Meena for president, Vir Chatrath for vice-president, Namrata Chaudhary for secretary and Gopal Choudhary for joint secretary.

Heavy Security Around Counting Centre

Security was strengthened around the counting centre and the strong room in North Campus. Around 2,000 personnel, including Delhi Police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel, were deployed as part of the arrangements, according to the election-day updates.

North District DCP Niharika Bhatt said police personnel from the district as well as additional forces had been deployed. Traffic police arrangements were also increased around the university to manage movement during the counting process.

The security measures were also linked to concerns surrounding election-related activity in the run-up to the results. Traffic restrictions were put in place in the North Campus area, while police maintained a presence around the counting centre.

Delhi High Court Bans Victory Processions

The DUSU results are being declared against the backdrop of directions from the Delhi High Court concerning election-related conduct. On Friday, the court barred victory processions after the results, including processions on roads as well as within university campuses and hostels.

The court also issued show-cause notices to 140 candidates and student organisations over alleged violations of election guidelines and sought responses on why exemplary electoral damages should not be imposed. The proceedings followed concerns raised over alleged violations of the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, the election code and earlier court directions.

Police authorities said the court's directions would be implemented and that no victory procession would be permitted following the declaration of results.

Student Issues Remain Central to Election

The DUSU campaign and election period also saw student organisations focus on issues including accommodation, hostel facilities, campus infrastructure, student safety, transport, education reforms, internships and student representation.

The condition of student accommodation and campus safety received particular attention following concerns surrounding the Satya Niketan PG building collapse, while education-related issues and student welfare were also raised during campaigning.

Candidates from different organisations presented their own records and priorities while seeking support from students. ABVP's presidential candidate Yash Dabas highlighted initiatives that he said were aimed at student safety and campus facilities, while NSUI's Vijay Shankar Meena expressed confidence in his support among students ahead of the counting.

As the counting progressed, the presidential race remained unsettled, with the lead changing between ABVP and NSUI during the early rounds. With several rounds still remaining, the figures available after the sixth round represented only an interim position rather than the final outcome.

The final results for the four central DUSU posts are expected after the completion of the remaining counting rounds. Until then, the vote margins remain subject to change as additional ballots are counted and consolidated by the election authorities.