Forget posters and pamphlets, this year Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) 2026 election campaigning has gone full jungle safari! Walk through North or South Campus and you might just encounter a life-sized gorilla or a giant panda with a candidate’s name plastered across its chest. And if lucky, you might even see two from opposing sides involved in a fun fist-fight, to stamp their strength. Ask campaigners and they say it’s a workaround born out of necessity.
With Delhi University cracking down this year’s campaigning with ban on canopies, a strict 5,000 budget limit per candidate, and the continuing ban on printed posters alongside a leash on car rallies. Candidates had to get inventive, and apparently the inspo has been sought from Reels of these giant furry campaigners that are already going viral. “No matter how many regulations come into play, one thing no one can curtail is our creativity,” says Kishank Batra, a second-year student campaigning for candidate Ojasvi Sehrawat. He adds, “Everyone’s making posters, cards, and designing social media posts. So we thought how do we go a step further? What’s quirkier and more attention-grabbing than a life-size gorilla walking through campus! There is no way you can ignore it.”
The idea, as it turns out, is entirely original and so perfectly timed. “The life-sized gorilla trend went viral on Instagram earlier this year during wedding season in Delhi, so it made sense to ride that wave,” says Kushagra, a final-year student of Kirori Mal College (KMC), adding, “Also, DUSU elections get way more serious than they should be. At the end of the day, it’s a student election and must have some fun and entertainment too.”
{{/usCountry}}The idea, as it turns out, is entirely original and so perfectly timed. “The life-sized gorilla trend went viral on Instagram earlier this year during wedding season in Delhi, so it made sense to ride that wave,” says Kushagra, a final-year student of Kirori Mal College (KMC), adding, “Also, DUSU elections get way more serious than they should be. At the end of the day, it’s a student election and must have some fun and entertainment too.”
{{/usCountry}}The humans inside the furry suits, though, are seeing a different side of the city altogether. “Hum toh yeh shadiyon ke liye perform karte thhe, par college wala experience bilkul alag hai,” says Manoj Ram, a Dwarka-based performer who has been hired for DUSU campaigning this season. He adds, “University mein humesha bheed lagi rehti hai, students selfie lene ke liye bhaagte aate hain, and kamaal ka hoot karte hain. Delhi ke colleges mein hi election hai toh hum bhi ismein ek tarah se hissa bann jaate hain... mazaa aa raha hai.”
There is, however, a method to this madness, read ‘budget’ behind it. “There’s this meme, ‘Itne paise mein itna hi milega’. Ab jab budget sirf ₹5,000 ka hai toh kuch toh sochna padega na. We are bound to think out of the box,” laughingly shares Chetanya Vashisht, a second year student of Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma (ARSD) college and campaigner for candidate Hemant Khokhar. Vashisht adds, “This is honestly the best way to spend that money. We reached out to companies that provide these costumes and negotiated the best deal we could. It’s catching on fast, and it might just become the dominant theme of this year’s elections.”