New Delhi: An independent candidate on Saturday won the presidentship of Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) after a gap of 18 years while Samajwadi Party's students' wing opened its account in the varsity body by winning the post of Joint Secretary.
The ABVP-backed candidate won the Vice President's seat while NSU(I) bagged the post of Secretary, for which elections were held in colleges yesterday.
Manoj Chaudhury of Department of Buddhist Studies won the president's post while ABVP's Kirti Vadhera (Miranda House) bagged the Vice President's post.
NSU(I)'s Ashradeep Kaur (Campus Law Centre) won the post of Secretary while Samajwadi Chatra Sabha's Anupriya Tyagi (Hansraj College) bagged the post of Joint Secretary.
This is the first time in the last 18 years that the DUSU president is an independent. It was way back in 1991 when DUSU got its 'independent' president Rajiv Goswami, riding on the Mandal wave.
NSU(I) and ABVP received a jolt in the beginning of election process itself as the nominations of three candidates each from both the outfits were rejected by the University election authorities for violating rules.
A total of 29 candidates are in fray for the four DUSU posts of President, Vice-President, Secretary and Joint.
Nearly 30,500 of the total around 88,000 students voted in the polls.
Chief Election Officer Gurmeet Singh said it was one of the cleanest and well-organised polls.
Increased security arrangements were made this time to conduct smooth and violence-free elections, he said.
About 750 EVMs were used for polls at 50 centres.