DUSU 2026: ABVP sweeps three posts as Left alliance polled 9.18% vote share
Synopsis
A four-year comparative study of DUSU elections found the Left's AISA-SFI alliance stuck at 9.18% in 2026, with two candidates finishing below NOTA — and a high-profile CJP protest at Jantar Mantar making no dent on DU voters. ABVP swept three of four central-panel posts, extending its unbroken dominance for a third straight year.
Key Takeaways
ABVP won three of four DUSU 2026 central-panel posts — President, Secretary, and Joint Secretary.
Yash Dabas (President), Riya Chhawadi (Secretary), and Lakshya Raj Singh (Joint Secretary) won on ABVP tickets; Independent Deepanshu Shokeen won Vice President.
The AISA-SFI alliance polled a combined 9.18% vote share; two of its candidates finished below NOTA .
The Left has failed to cross 12% or win a single central-panel seat for three consecutive years , according to the study.
Voter turnout fell to 34.7% in 2024-25 due to a court-ordered, nearly two-month delay in result declaration; it recovered after anti-defacement enforcement tightened.
The CJP -led protest at Jantar Mantar , driven by Abhijeet Dipke , had no measurable electoral impact on DU voters, the study concluded.
A comparative study of Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) election results from 2023 to 2026 has found that Left-affiliated student organisations failed to convert visible street mobilisation into ballot support, with the All India Students' Association–Students' Federation of India (AISA-SFI) alliance recording a combined vote share of just 9.18 per cent in the 2026 DUSU elections. The study was released on Monday, 21 September 2026.
ABVP Dominates Three of Four Posts
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won three of four central-panel posts. Yash Dabas secured the President's post, Riya Chhawadi won as Secretary, and Lakshya Raj Singh took the Joint Secretary position. The Vice President's post was claimed by Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen, keeping the Congress-backed National Students' Union of India (NSUI) off the board entirely.
What the Study Found on Left Performance
The study, titled 'Delhi University Student Union Election Comparative Study 2023 to 2026', noted that the AISA-SFI alliance has been unable to win a single central-panel seat or surpass 12 per cent vote share over the past three consecutive years. Two of its candidates polled below the None of the Above (NOTA) option.
'The Left has been unable to secure a single central-panel seat or surpass 12 per cent for the past three years, indicating that DU students still perceive it as a fringe, ideologically exhausted force rather than a credible alternative, despite the volume of its agitation,' the study stated.
CJP Mobilisation and the Jantar Mantar Protest
The study specifically examined whether the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led student protest at Jantar Mantar, associated with activist Abhijeet Dipke, had any discernible effect on Delhi University voters. According to the study, the agitation — which drew attention as part of broader Gen Z mobilisation — did not translate into electoral gains for allied Left formations. The ABVP's performance, the study argued, reflected a continued preference among DU students for a nationalist orientation.
Turnout Trends: From 34.7% Dip to Recovery
The study also tracked voter turnout patterns across the four-year window. It found that turnout fell sharply to 34.7 per cent in the 2024–25 cycle, a drop the study attributed to a nearly two-month, court-ordered delay in result declaration arising from campaign defacement complaints. Turnout reportedly recovered over the following two years as enforcement of anti-defacement rules tightened, suggesting that process integrity is a significant driver of participation in DUSU polls.
Context: Three Years of Left Stagnation
This is the third successive year the Left student bloc has failed to breach the double-digit vote share threshold in DUSU central-panel contests. The pattern is notable given that Left-affiliated groups have maintained a high-profile presence in student activism nationally — including participation in protests tied to fee hikes, hostel policies, and political commentary. The disconnect between organisational visibility and electoral performance at Delhi University underlines what the study describes as an inability to convert street presence into ballot support among one of India's largest university student bodies. How NSUI recalibrates its strategy heading into the next cycle will be closely watched.
Point of View
Finishing off the central panel entirely is equally telling: being the second-biggest campus political brand in India and drawing a blank at DU signals a messaging problem that goes well beyond election tactics.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the DUSU elections 2026?
ABVP won three of the four central-panel posts in the 2026 DUSU elections. Yash Dabas won the President's post, Riya Chhawadi won Secretary, and Lakshya Raj Singh won Joint Secretary. The Vice President's post went to Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen; the Congress-backed NSUI did not win any post.
What vote share did the Left alliance get in DUSU 2026?
The AISA-SFI alliance recorded a combined vote share of 9.18% in the 2026 DUSU elections, according to the comparative study. Two of the alliance's candidates polled below the NOTA option, and the Left has not crossed 12% or won a central-panel seat in any of the past three years.
Did the Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar affect DUSU results?
According to the study, the CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar, associated with Abhijeet Dipke, had no discernible impact on DUSU election outcomes. The AISA-SFI alliance, which participated in the broader Gen Z and CJP mobilisation, was unable to convert that street presence into ballot support at Delhi University.
Why did DUSU voter turnout fall in 2024-25?
The study attributes the steep drop to 34.7% turnout in 2024-25 to a nearly two-month, court-ordered delay in result declaration triggered by campaign defacement complaints. Turnout recovered over the following two years after enforcement of anti-defacement rules was tightened.
What is the 'DUSU Election Comparative Study 2023 to 2026'?
It is a study analysing Delhi University Student Union election results across four years, released on 21 September 2026. It tracks party vote shares, turnout trends, and the electoral impact of student agitations, concluding that ABVP has maintained dominant support while Left-aligned groups have stagnated at single-digit vote shares.
