After tightening its grip by issuing strict guidelines for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), the varsity’s Community Radio is offering a platform to candidates contesting various posts to use the medium to reach the students widely. “We promote paperless campaigning for the students union polls and have therefore decided to allow the broadcast of speeches by respective candidates on its Community Radio 90.4 MHz for campaigning,” said DS Rawat, Chief Election Commissioner for DUSU polls.
The speech time allotted is only five minutes and the speech shall be vetted, and edited if necessary, by a committee comprising Chief Election Officer, Chief Returning Officer and Returning Officer. The candidate may request the varsity in case he needs more time. “The speech for each post shall be broadcast according to the alphabetical order of the names of contestants for each posts.
“The dates of the broadcast will be from September 7 to 9, depending upon the availability of time slots and the same shall be repeated too,” Rawat said.
DUCR, which started operating in 2007 is available on the frequency 90.4 MHz and has a radius of 10 km. Campaigning through this medium assumes significance for the candidates keeping in mind the lyngdoh Committee Recommendations which permits the contestants to keep their campaigning budget within Rs5,000. The elections are scheduled for September 11 and the students’ wings of various political parties have intensified their campaign.