DUSU battle on, 44% turnout so far

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) The triangular fight among the RSS-backed ABVP, Congress's NSUI, and CPI-ML Liberation's AISA to win the top posts in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) was on as voting went on in colleges across the capital.

The polling began for the four central posts of President, Vice President, Joint Secretary and Secretary at 8.30 a.m. and continued till 1 p.m. for the first session. The second round of voting -- reserved for students of evening colleges -- began at 3 p.m. and will go on till 7.30 p.m.

A total of 10 candidates are running for the post of President this year including Rajat Chaudhary from Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Rocky Tuseed from National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and Parul Chauhan from the All India Students' Association (AISA).

From the 51 colleges whose students elect the DUSU, the percentage of voting in 32 institutions where votes had been counted was 44 per cent, Chief Election Officer S.B. Babbar told IANS, while the counting at nine colleges remains to be done.

According to sources, there was 65 per cent voting in Hindu College, over 50 per cent in Ramjas College, 40 per cent in Deshbandhu College, 58 per cent in Shri Ram College of Commerce, 58 per cent in Rajdhani College and 53 per cent in ARSD College.

The outgoing DUSU President is ABVP's Amit Tanwar, with the post under the RSS student wing's hold since 2014 when Mohit Nagar was elected. He was succeeded by Satender Awana, whose tenure was marked by controversy after he was accused of publicly threatening and beating up faculty members.

A bipolar affair historically, the election this year has seen the rise of another student group, the radical left AISA, which has found many supporters among students after the brawl at Ramjas College in February and turned the usually bilateral contest between the ABVP and NSUI into a multi-cornered fight.

The election results are likely to be announced on Wednesday.