While major political players (NSUI and ABVP) in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections rely on both the social media and ground campaigning, lesser known parties or alliances like AISA-CYSS, who are struggling to find a footing, rely more on social media for their campaign. Their modus-operandi lies in widely circulating short videos related to some incident of violence allegedly unleashed by the members of ABVP or NSUI on the social media platforms.
In the run-up to the high-voltage student's union elections, social media is playing a pivotal role in garnering support, with none of the student organisations ready to take risk of ignoring the social platforms. While platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Whats-App etc are used by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and National Students' Union of India (NSUI) mainly for advertising their candidates, the All India Students Association (AISA) - Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) alliance is using it optimally for targeting adversaries.
Latest being the unequivocal targeting of ABVP's Vice-Presidential candidate Shakti Singh by the members of left wing (AISA) on social media after a "ruckus" was created by few "miscreants" at DU's Zakir Husain College when Singh went there for campaigning on Monday. AISA members widely circulated the video that shows few "anti-social" elements with cane in their hands moving ahead of the ABVP leader over whom he seems to have no control. The ruckus went on while the ABVP vice-presidential candidate was helpless in controlling them.
ABVP has clarified that the whole episode is purportedly planned by NSUI and left student organizations to malign the image of ABVP. The party has categorically denied involvement of its vice-presidential candidate Shakti Singh but AISA-CYSS seems to leave no stone unturned to take maximum mileage out of the "untoward" incident by circulating it on social media and holding ABVP leader responsible for it. A day ahead of the elections both NSUI and AISA, have demanded the cancellation of the candidature of ABVP's vice-presidential candidate Shakti Singh.
According to a senior DU teacher the newly formed AISA-CYSS alliance is mainly eyeing on vote bank that constitutes of students who reside in hostels and paying guest accommodations. These students are mainly from outside states and particularly from regions like eastern Uttar-Pradesh, Bihar, West-Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand etc.
"Realizing that ABVP has pitched a popular face hailing from the eastern UP for contesting DUSU vice-president post, who may possibly draw a large chunk the votes AISA-CYSS is eyeing upon towards ABVP, the alliance will miss no opportunity to tarnish his image and making a mountain out of a mole," he said, on anonymity. While another professor said that it is not the ABVP but rather NSUI's vote-bank that AISA-CYSS will dent if the voting percentage in favor of the coalition increases. DUSU elections are on 12 September.
"In the campaign for the student's union election these days, propaganda on social media platforms are seemingly more effective in garnering support as compared to the traditional methods of campaigning," said a student. Candidates in poll fray and their supporters have posted short videos on facebook, twitter etc. in which common students can be seen appealing others to vote in their favor.