ABVP's Aman Awana celebrates with other party candidates
Rejecting the claim of Narendra Modi impact on Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections that saw Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) romping home, Congress today pointed to its frontal outfit National Students Union of India's (NSUI) victory in student bodies' elections in Gujarat and Punjab.
"If they are saying that ABVP's victory in DUSU this year is a sign of Modi impact and this indicates that the BJP will also win assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, then BJP should be ready to pack up from Gujarat and Punjab where Congress' student wing NSUI won University and College elections recently," party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed told reporters.
Mr Ahmed, who is the AICC in-charge for Delhi, said NSUI recently won in students' union elections at Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara after a gap of 10 years despite Mr Modi's posters used in the election campaign there.
"We had also won in Gujarat University and Punjab University elections. While Modi is Chief Minister in Gujarat, it's a Akali-Dal BJP government in Punjab. If losing Delhi University Students Union means Congress will lose elections in Delhi, then BJP must be on losing trend in Gujarat and Punjab," he argued.
Mr Ahmed said that as far DUSU is concerned, Congress had won three posts and BJP one, which has reversed this year and may reverse again next year in favour of the Congress.
Aman Awana of the ABVP, who was elected DUSU President, attributed the victory primarily due to Mr Modi's popularity among students and their anger against the NSUI.
Karishma Thakur of NSUI, who was elected as Secretary, the lone winner from Congress student wing, said there was "no impact of Modi" on DUSU elections and that Congress will win Delhi assembly elections impressively as there is "no such thing as Modi factor".
She was talking to reporters at the AICC after meeting Mr Ahmed and other senior leaders.