National issues raised in war for campus turf

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's agenda, a mix of student and national issues, seems to have encouraged students to vote for it.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's agenda, a mix of student and national issues, seems to have encouraged students to vote for it.

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The party spoke on a range of issues, from women's safety to cheap services for students, and struck a chord with the voters.

ABVP's social media campaign was seen by many as part of a bigger political game.

The student outfit left no stone unturned in an attempt to cash in on the Narendra Modi frenzy among supporters, with his face dominating many of its online hoardings. Sources said the idea to make Modi the face of their campaign cropped up after his address at Delhi University's Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) earlier this year.

Political parties saw the student elections, held only months before the Assembly elections, as a litmus test. "It is about setting the mood which helps in creating a wave," a senior BJP leader said.