This year, Delhi University Students’ Union will see a woman candidate fighting for the president post from the Congress-backed NSUI after a gap of 11 years while its rival ABVP had last fielded a woman candidate in 2011. Out of the 12 candidates in fray, there are only four women in contention. ChetnaTyagi of National Student’s Union of India will take on AkhilBharatiyaVidyarthiParishad’sAkshitDahiya and Left-backed All India Students’ Association’s DaminiKain for the post of president.
In 2008, the NSUI had fielded Sonia Sapra, who had lost the top post to ABVP’s Nupur Sharma. Thereafter, the Congress’ student outfit has not fielded any woman candidate for the president’s post. RSS-backed ABVP,its arch-rival had fielded Neha Singh for the top DUSU post in 2011 but she had lost to the NSUI candidate. The Left-backed AISA, however, has preferred women for the president’s post, with the last year being an exception, when they fielded Abhigyan. The AISA had last year contested in alliance with the AamAadmi Party’s ChhatraYuvaSangharshSamiti (CYSS). The ABVP has fielded Pradeep Tanwar, YogitRathee and ShivangiKherwal for the post of vice-president, secretary and joint secretary respectively .
The NSUI has fielded Ankit Bharti for the vice-president post, Ashish Lamba for the secretary and Abhishek Chaprana for the joint secretary post. Their president pick ChetnaTyagi has been a DUSU executive councillor and a swimming player. She is currently studying at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Evening). NSUI national in-charge Ruchi Gupta said that atthe time when the BJP is protecting rapists and RSS is promoting misogyny, the NSUI is proud to announce that their DUSU president candidate is a bright and fearless woman. DUSU’s Secretary candidate is Ashish Lamba, a final year law student and international hockey player and Abhishek Chaprana, a young student activist and son of an ordinary farmer, will run for the post of joint secretary. The NSUI is committed to equal educational opportunity for all Indian youth. The DUSU panel is reflective too of the commitment to women empowerment, social justice and equal opportunity across class and caste.
Kain has been a topper throughout her graduation in Jesus and Mary College.She was a topper in her master’s entrance in JamiaMilliaIslamia University and in Delhi University MA entrance for political science. She has been on the forefront for the movements related to social justice in and outside the campus.
Kumar has been on the forefront in the movement for affordable transportation which ensured the validation of bus pass in AC buses. According to the AISA Delhi president Kawalpreet Kaur,they are getting a huge support from the students in the DUSU elections. Their consistent movement for affordable transportation which ensured AC Bus passes has gathered a massive support from the students of DU. She said that the first task that AISA union will ensure after coming to power is that DU students be given metro concession passes.
Rakshita Aggarwal
