DU to give students right to ‘reject’ all candidates in elections this year

NEW DELHI: Delhi University for the first time this year has decided to give students the NOTA (none of the above) option to select from during the upcoming students

NEW DELHI: Delhi University for the first time this year has decided to give students the NOTA (none of the above) option to select from during the upcoming students union election.

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The electronic voting machines (EVM) will have the NOTA option for the Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) election that is scheduled for September 9. The decision was taken by the DUSU election advisory committee chaired by the pro-vice-chancellor on Saturday.

This year the election committee will also organise an open house meeting with the students to sensitise them about rules pertaining to the elections.

The city, especially areas adjoining north and south campuses, have already been smeared with posters in the run up to the election, with colleges being littered with pamphlets and papers often.

The littering of college campuses has happened despite the National Green Tribunal sternly ordering the university to ask candidates to devise ways to conduct campaigning in an eco-friendly manner without wasting paper.

“Delhi Police has been requested to impound cars that move around in groups with banners and posters of candidates. The green court’s order will be strictly followed,” said DS Rawat, DU’s chief election officer.

The university has also sent a special request to the political parties to adhere to the rules. Though Delhi University officially does not recognise any political party, students who contest the polls are backed by different political parties.

Students from the Congress-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI) and the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) are likely to file their nominations for the polls this year. The Aam Aadmi Party-backed Chhatra Yuva Sangarsh Sansthan (CYSS), which had contested the polls last year, has decided not to enter the fray this time around.

In a letter written to all political parties, Rawat said: “Kindly cooperate in directing the candidates not to use printed posters, deface public property and take out processions without explicit permission of the election officers.”

There are 51 colleges which participate in the DUSU polls each year with each college having a separate election monitoring committee that report violations of the code of conduct.

In case of any complaint, candidates are required to respond to notices sent to them on email within 24 hours failing which ex-parte decision are taken.