The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections have always been a direct battle between the RSS student wing ABVP and Congress-backed NSUI. However, this time the left inclined student organisations have made a significant entry. With few organisations forming an alliance called left Students’ Front and AISA spreading its network from 15 to almost 47 colleges this year, ABVP may have to take prudent steps while campaigning to garner the votes they are expecting.
Though there are several left-inclined teachers associations in DU, the DUSU has always been limited to either ABVP or NSUI as both these unions detest left ideologies. However, since AISA started the movement against the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) last year, they have managed to set their ground in the university strongly this year. “We have seen AISA perform since last year. They were the harbingers of change for us because they were the first to raise their voice against FYUP,” said a student of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC).
This advancement of AISA in the university also encouraged other left inclined parties to come forward and try their luck during elections. Thus, came into being the recent alliance of Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Arunachal Students’ Federation (ASF) and All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) called the left Students’ Front (lSF).
“The students of DU are now perceptive to left ideology. This domination of ABVP and NSUI will soon peter away,” said a representative of lSF. Meanwhile, other party leaders said that there is no way that the students of DU would accept a student union which promotes “Naxal” activities. “They don’t have anything to hold their ground. They have disgraced themselves in JNU and are now coming to DU to seek shelter. They are Naxal agents and are using student issues as a mask to cover all their anti-national activities,” said Saket Bahuguna, Delhi State Secretary of ABVP.