New Delhi: Delhi University is abuzz with political activity as it gears up for the much-anticipated Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections for the 2025-26 academic session, scheduled for September 18. Major student organisations — NSUI, ABVP, and the SFI-AISA alliance — have announced their candidate panels, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest.

In a historic move, the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has nominated Joslyn Nandita Choudhary as its presidential candidate, marking the first time in 17 years that the organisation has fielded a woman for the top post.

Rahul Jhansla, Kabir, and Lavkush Bhadana will contest for vice president, secretary, and joint secretary respectively.

Determined to maintain its stronghold in DU politics, the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has nominated Aryan Maan for president, Govind Tanwar for vice president, Kunal Choudhary for secretary, and Deepika Jha for joint secretary.

Meanwhile, the left-leaning Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Association (AISA) alliance has positioned itself as an “alternative voice” to what it calls the dominance of “money and muscle power” in campus elections.

Their panel is led by Anjali from Indraprastha College for Women as the presidential candidate, along with Sohan Kumar (vice president), Abhinandana Pratyashi (secretary), and Abhishek Kumar (joint secretary).

The alliance has placed a strong emphasis on student issues, including women’s safety, hostel facilities, metro fare concessions, and greater representation for marginalised communities.

This year’s polls come under tight enforcement of Lyngdoh Committee guidelines to prevent defacement of public property, after last year’s counting process was delayed following a Delhi High Court order.

The court has once again directed the university to ensure peaceful, rule-compliant elections and asked DU to submit an affidavit by September 15 outlining the measures being taken.

In the 2024 elections, NSUI made a remarkable comeback after seven years by winning the president and joint secretary posts, while ABVP retained the secretary position and bagged the vice president seat.

With major organisations fielding strong candidates this year, and a renewed push for female leadership, the 2025-26 DUSU elections are expected to be one of the most closely watched student political battles in recent years.