A Rs 5,000 spending cap. A fleet of Defenders, Thars. Welcome to the DUSU election

Walking out of Gate Number 4 of the Vishwavidyalaya metro station, students are met with a familiar sight during Delhi University’s election season: pamphlets and posters carrying the names and ballot numbers of ABVP, NSUI and other candidates.

But DU’s election guidelines prohibit candidates from using printed campaign material. Newslaundry found that some of the posters being used for canvassing appear handwritten but are actually printed on low-quality paper. Printing shops told us that thousands of such copies can be produced for a relatively low cost.

The campaign spectacle extends beyond pamphlets. 

Early this week, North Campus saw rows of Defenders, Scorpios and Thars being used in rallies, while students also described food, gifts, trips and other outreach activities organised by student groups.

The scale of these campaigns raises questions about how the rules governing DU student elections are being followed.

Under the 2005 JM Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, accepted by the Supreme Court for implementation in college and university elections, candidates may not use printed posters, pamphlets or other printed campaign material, while handmade posters are permitted only at notified campus locations. 

Vehicles and loudspeakers are barred from canvassing; processions and public meetings are restricted, requiring prior permission and no disruption to academic activities; and candidates are liable for defacement of campus property. 

The Lyngdoh committee recommendations also cap election spending at Rs 5,000 per candidate and permit funding only through voluntary contributions from the student body. 

Newslaundry found that these rules were flouted in the run-up to this year’s polls. On September 17, the Delhi High Court agreed to hear a plea alleging widespread violations of the Lyngdoh Committee’s recommendations and anti-defacement guidelines, among other concerns.

A repeat of 2024?

This is not the first time campaign material has led to questions over election rules. In September 2024, these posters became a cause to pause the election results. The court had noted prima facie violations of the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, including allegations of excessive spending and widespread defacement during campaigning. 

The Delhi High Court had asked candidates of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) and college elections to clean all campus structures defaced during the polls if they wanted the vote count to take place. The court, which had halted the counting of votes and declaration of results of DUSU and college elections, said its purpose was only to send a message that such violations would not be tolerated and not to thwart the election process.

“Why don’t you clean up the mess? The day the place is cleaned up, we will allow the counting of votes the very next day,” a bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said. The court was hearing an application filed by two candidates who contested the college elections in two separate DU colleges, seeking declaration of results.

Following compliance reports and cleanup efforts, the long-delayed vote counting eventually commenced at the end of November, 2024.

‘Handwritten’ posters, printed in thousands

The posters used during canvassing appear as if they are handwritten, but are printed on low-quality paper in fonts that are almost painted.

Newslaundry spoke to two separate printing shops in New Delhi. Shammi Bhagat of Delight Prints said, “It seems like they write it by hand, scan it, and then print it. For Rs 1,200, you can get 2,000 copies in red and blue. The smaller ones cost Rs 1,300 for 4,000 copies. This paper is 7.2, while the other one is chromo, which is cheaper.”

Another print shop analysed the papers and said they were made of cheap material. He noted that a bundle of 1,000 papers could cost anywhere between Rs 300 and Rs 400.

The pamphlets have also become a source of frustration for students because of the waste they create.

Students say the campaign material does little to attract voters. Jivika from Ramjas College said, “They have created so much garbage. At least, there shouldn’t be this much paper waste. Everyone has a right to campaign, but this is something I really hate. They keep handing these cards to me, but what am I even supposed to do with them? They just go from my bag straight into the dustbin.”

She added that candidates could find better ways to campaign. “Yuvraj bhaiya, who is contesting the college election, distributed cards with tulsi seeds. But students are just throwing them away. The initiative is good, but if you look at it religiously, these cards are ending up under people’s feet, which is not good either.” 

Yuvraj Ola is a student running for the position of President in the Ramjas College Students’ Union.

Strongly criticising this practice, Stanzin Deskyong, the Student Federation of India’s (SFI) candidate for the office of DUSU Secretary, said, “Nobody likes the ‘parcha udana’, especially not the regular students. Firstly, these are not handwritten pamphlets and notes. These are all printed.” 

She said, “They flout many rules, even exceeding the prescribed budget which is set for candidates. SFI does not print any pamphlets or throw them in the air. We, even, urge the people to keep the posters safely as they are made by us.”

Responding to the concerns over campaigning and the use of promotional material, Harshit Sharma, a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student organisation affiliated with the RSS, said they were advocating for a more dialogue-oriented approach to politics and strict adherence to campaign rules.

“ABVP is advocating for a more dialogue-oriented politics and strict adherence to the rules of campaigning. We want our campus to remain clean. Therefore, instructions have been provided by our senior leaders to avoid the indiscriminate use of promotional material and to ensure proper cleaning of the campus,” claimed Sharma.

“Being an open campus, DU sees a lot of outsiders during campaigns for different parties, and some may indulge in breaches of the rules. However, all organisations should come together to support the Swachh Bharat initiative,” he added. 

Defenders, Scorpios and Thars on North Campus

The campaign spectacle is not limited to paper. 

A member of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress party, who travelled from Haryana to Delhi to support his organisation, and spoke to Newslaundry on condition of anonymity, said DUSU elections were all about the “show” that parties put on.

When Newslaundry visited North Campus on September 15, the area was blocked as rows of Defenders, Scorpios and Thars took to the streets. These were car rallies taken out mostly by NSUI and ABVP, sporting banners of their desired candidates. Rallies in support of Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen also took to the roads. Shokeen had entered the fray after failing to get an NSUI ticket.

Speaking to Newslaundry, Shokeen said, “The entire campus gets together during the election season. These car rallies are a way to show support.”

The NSUI member said that while there was a cap on how much a candidate could spend, such car rallies happen on the “good will” of the “community and organisation.” 

“I have brought three cars to support my brothers. However, every year many candidates also rent vehicles on a per day basis which suit their budget. If needed, the car rental agencies can also provide drivers. It is a show business which illustrates the support for the candidates,” he said.

A member of Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, speaking to Newslaundry on condition of anonymity, said, “We get the support for our organisation during the campaigning. Roadshows happen every year. Of course, these cars do not all belong to students. Look closely, every car will not have the correct spelling of the candidate, so in case, there is a complaint, it does not fall on the candidates.”

But students also questioned the way some of these rallies are conducted. Nishkarsh, a student of Ramjas College, said, “I saw people hanging out of car windows and appearing to be intoxicated during campaigning. They were engaging in hooliganism, even climbing onto cars. It is your political right to campaign, but it is not your democratic right to stand out of your car, and engage in such behaviour.”

Such rallies fall squarely within what the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations prohibit.

A Rs 5,000 spending cap

The recommendations also prescribe a maximum permitted expenditure of Rs 5,000 per candidate. “With the view to prevent the inflow of funds from political parties into the student election process, the candidates are specially barred from utilising funds from any other sources than voluntary contributions from the student body.”

Shokeen believes that the Lyngdoh committee recommendations need reform. “The Rs 5000 per candidate spending limit is too little. It is difficult to cover the cost of campaigning under that amount. We will demand reforms.” 

Ashutosh Singh, the former national media convenor of the ABVP, said, “The Lyngdoh committee recommendations were set in 2005-06, but the same spending cap is still in place today. Expecting us to stick to a 20-year-old cap isn't practical. We follow all the guidelines, but they need to be updated for today.”

Ram Mandir trips, Parliament visits

Candidates also reach out to students by distributing food and organising events.

Anurag, a student in the Department of Hindi, said, “During the 2025 election, 19 buses carrying 517 students went for a Ram Mandir visit organised by ABVP. I was also one of the students who went on that trip. This year too, like every year, students are being taken on visits to different places, including Parliament.”

Anshika Yadav from Indraprastha College For Women spoke of a visit to Parliament organised by the NSUI. “NSUI members had forwarded Google Forms to our group for a parliamentary visit. Students who were interested filled out the forms and were asked to reach the metro station at the given time. From there, the NSUI members helped us with the entry process. I have also attended one such visit, and they helped us get the necessary entries.”

Meanwhile, outreach activities also intensify right before polling night, said Anurag.

“On the night before the election, in areas with a large number of PGs and hostels, pizza and burger packets are delivered in large numbers. A small slip with a ballot number written on it is handed out along with the food.” 

Student groups also target voters by region and demographic, he added.

“One of ABVP’s key strategies is targeting students from the Purvanchal region. Around 55% of DU’s student demographic is from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and to attract their votes, it organises ‘Purvanchal Mahotsavs’. Yesterday, ABVP held one at Ramjas College, where BJP leader Manoj Tiwari and Bhojpuri actress Akshara Singh were present. Bhojpuri songs and Chhath songs were played to create an emotional connection with students," he said.

NSUI runs similar outreach on a smaller scale, he said, adding that both organisations hold comparable events for students from Haryana and Rajasthan.

Laddoos, notebooks and other freebies

Students also described other forms of campaign outreach. Akshit from Ramjas College, claimed, “Today, ABVP distributed laddoos. They also took me to canteens and offered food, especially by seniors. Last year, they were distributing alcohol. They come into our PGs and hostels and distribute chocolates along with pamphlets and manifestos. If you have the right connection, they are paying Rs 500 to campaign for them. They will also drop you home.”

Additionally, NSUI’s candidate for vice-president, Vir Chatrath, took DU students to PVR theatres for a movie on September 16.

Speaking to Newslaundry, Chatrath noted that election guidelines and regulations must not be flouted. “It is wrong for any candidate from any group to flout these rules. Students safety is the utmost priority. As for roadshows and rallies, it is very emotional for everyone. Family, friends and other supporters get together to canvas for their candidates during these dates.”

Chatrath also mentioned that he was merely a candidate as of now and his focus “remains on students’ concerns”. He criticised the ABVP noting that it was their “trend” to break rules during elections.

Jivika also alleged that NSUI distributed very slim notebooks with NSUI written on them. These included pens and keychains for their campaigning. Shivam, an ABVP member, also mentioned that they had distributed pens, notebooks and pouches during campaigning. 

Newslaundry has emailed questions about alleged campaign violations to the elections committee of Delhi University. We will update the report once they respond.

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