'Mohabbat ki Dukaan' now open in Delhi University: NSUI on DUSU polls

New Delhi: Hailing the election of Rounak Khatri as the new president of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU), Congress student wing NSUI's National President, Varun Choudhary, on Monday, expressed his gratitude to the students. He described the victory as the opening of a "Mohabbat ki dukaan" (a shop of love) at Delhi University. Choudhary thanked the students for their unwavering support and for standing firm with the Constitution, marking the triumph as a key moment for the student body and the democratic spirit on campus.

Khatri triumphed over ABVP's Rishabh Chaudhary by more than 1,300 votes, securing 20,207 votes compared to Chaudhary's 18,864. The victory led to jubilant celebrations as the Congress-backed NSUI marked its comeback in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU), an organization that had been predominantly controlled by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for years. This result signified a notable shift in the political dynamics of the campus.

After the win, NSUI's Varun Choudhary spoke to an agency and said, "We have won the DUSU president election after seven years and also the joint secretary's post. I think 'mohabbat ki dukaan' has now been opened at Delhi University. We thank the students of DU who stand with the Constitution."

While Khatri attributed his win to the hard work and support of students, pledging to remain committed to addressing student issues, with a focus on improving infrastructure and ensuring better behaviour from staff.

"History has been created today. History has been changed--all because of our work. Show-off and arrogance have been defeated. As a student of the Law Faculty, I assure all students that I'll stand by them as they have made me victorious. Infrastructure and staff behaviour towards students will be the top priority," Khatri said.

NSUI, the student wing of the Indian National Congress (INC), celebrated its resurgence after a seven-year gap, securing the joint secretary position as well with NSUI's Lokesh Choudhary defeating ABVP's Aman Kapasia by over 6,700 votes.

While NSUI claimed the president and joint secretary posts, ABVP retained the vice president and secretary positions. ABVP's Bhanu Pratap Singh secured the vice president post, while Mitravinda Karanwal retained the secretary position with 16,703 votes.

In previous years, ABVP had dominated by winning three of the four central panel seats, with NSUI managing only the vice president's position.

The announcement of election results, originally scheduled for September 28, was postponed due to concerns over defacement during the campaign.

This year's election witnessed intense competition, with 21 candidates contesting for the four central panel posts. The election reflected a clash of ideologies, as the RSS-affiliated ABVP, Congress-backed NSUI, and the Left-aligned coalition of AISA and SFI vied for dominance.

(with agency inputs)