File Photo: Students wait to cast their votes in DUSU election. (Press Trust of India)
Over 43 per cent students exercised their franchise today in the keenly contested Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) polls which were dominated this year by issues such as rollback of CBCS, security, transport and accommodation problems faced by varsity students.
Meanwhile, the students council elections also took place in 42 colleges where Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India (NSUI) won the five-member panels in 18 colleges while the BJP's youth wing Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parsihad (ABVP) emerged victorious at 13 colleges.
Both the parties won different seats in remaining colleges.
While DUSU is the representative body of the students from most colleges and faculties of the varsity, colleges have their individual students' councils.
AAP's student wing Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), which is making its debut at the DUSU polls, did not nominate any candidates for the council elections at colleges.
The Chief Election Officer for DUSU elections, DS Rawat, said the voting went off peacefully with 44 per cent of students casting their vote in the morning leg of polls.
"The polling which was conducted in two phases went off smoothly. The maximum turnout of 91 per cent was recorded at the Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College and the minimum was in Shahid Bhagat Singh evening college and Department of Buddhist Studies at 21 per cent," he said.
"Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) reported the highest turnout of 70 per cent at a campus college while the minimum was at Khalsa college at 27 per cent," he added.
No technical glitches in the EVMs were reported during the first phase.
While 44 per cent polling was recorded in the morning leg of polls, the turnout in the evening phase was relatively low,
Mr Rawat said, adding that the counting of votes will be taken up tomorrow after which the results will be declared.
"The university had deployed 23 observers who visited the 50 centres where the polling took place in teams of two to check violations of code of conduct.
"DU administration had also installed CCTV cameras besides hiring commercial videographers to record election activities to ensure free and fair polling," Mr Rawat said.