With only a couple of days left before the verdict of the Delhi University Student (DUSU) elections, the campaigns are in full swing. University campuses, colleges, even popular student markets of Kamla Nagar and Satya Niketan — student leaders have been everywhere for the past few days.

On September 6 morning, I reached Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College in Dhaula Kuan, where Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) was about to campaign along with the DUSU presidential candidate Amit Tanwar, as well as Joint-secretary candidate, Vishal Yadav.

Half an hour prior to the candidates’ arrival, around 50 supporters were sitting outside the college gates in blistering heat, raining pamphlets with registered ballot numbers of the candidates. When I began to interview a few supporters, they jumped to action and began shouting slogans, “Hamara leader kaisa ho? Amit Tanwar jaisa ho! (How should our leader be? Like Amit Tanwar!)” Loud, perhaps, but the situation was peaceful until the candidates arrived.

South Campus has a strict policy that allows only nominated candidates to enter colleges while on a campaign, along with up to four registered students of the college that they are entering. Amit Tanwar, however, came with a proper entourage who, when denied entry, created a ruckus. All hell broke loose and physical altercations with the police officers began. A supporter cheekily told me, “Aap to ladki hain, aap side mein ho jaiye (You’re a girl, you should step aside.)”

Finally, a few supporters were allowed inside with the candidates and they began touring the campus floor by floor. They entered every class was entered and the candidate addressed the students, shook hands with them and asked for their support. The entire process took over half an hour, after which the candidates were hailed on the shoulders of party members and escorted back in their cars.

Before leaving, Tanwar gave a brief statement, “We have worked continuously for two years in the union and it is heartening to see the support of the students. We are sure of winning all four seats again and this year too we will deliver everything we promise in our manifesto.”

Shortly after, All India Students Association (AISA) vice-president candidate, Amrita Queen, came to the college with the four supporters she’s allowed.  The situation was vastly different from ABVP’s campaign. AISA members came on foot, had no banner and none of the fanfare that was in ABVP’s campaign. Queen went to every classroom, talked about how a female candidate can change the scenario of DUSU, announced her name and ballot number, and asked for support.

The AISA members toured South Campus for about two hours, but very few of them seemed to be interested in Queen’s campaigning. Most of them returned the distributed pamphlets that contained th AISA candidates’ ballot numbers.

AISA’s consolation is that despite all their enthusiasm, ABVP campaigners were about as successful as AISA at drawing students’ attention. Most students seemed annoyed by the noises and the paper trash being produced by the campaigners, but mostly, they seemed wary of the crowds outside college gates, that didn’t allow them to enter the premises.

A female ARSD student, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “We don’t want any part of this. I have a class going on right now and I’m stuck outside because the guards won’t open the gates until the supporters leave.”

Mr. Sudhanshu Kumar, AISA President for Delhi University, said, “ABVP has a stronghold on the campus. They were allowed to create a ruckus outside gates but we were asked to repeatedly show the candidature document to every officer outside.”

The NSUI campaign in South Campus began late in the afternoon from Motilal Nehru College. Here, too, the entry gate was barricaded and police was beginning to arrive before the campaigners reached. A long queue had formed as the guards insisted on checking every student’ identity card.

For over one-and-a-half hours, the campaigners sat outside the gates as the candidates were running quite late. It seemed like a picnic gone rogue. Some supporters were eating ice-creams and others were seen chit-chatting in the parking area. Few senior members were busy unloading stacks and stacks of pamphlets, fresh and toasty from the Xerox shop.

When the NSUI candidates finally arrived, most campaigners were exhausted and had lost their enthusiasm. Once again, only a few supporters were allowed to enter the campus. Right off the hook, pamphlets were being showered all across the corridors and canteen area. When I tried talking to a few of the NSUI campaigners, they were reluctant to speak to me, fearing they might say something inappropriate. Instead they called a ‘senion member’ who told me to keep the fact that he is not a student but an Indian Youth Congress member off the record.

Following the campaigns around on South Campus, there was one thing that was constant across the parties: the candidates may think they’re the stars, but the real heroes are the campaigners. Neither the weather nor the disinterested students swayed them.

At the risk of misquoting Alfred Tennyson, leaders come and leaders go, but campaigners go on forever.