DU VC tells students not to vote for candidate flooding campus with posters

With the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections scheduled for September 18, Vice Chancellor Professor Yogesh Singh on Wednesday urged students to reject candidates who flood the campus with printed posters, saying such a stand could curb defacement during the campaign.

“We will not vote for the candidate who has more printed posters,” Professor Singh told NSS volunteers and NCC cadets at a sensitisation programme organised under the Swachhata Hi Seva 2025 initiative.

“When you take such a decision, any candidate will be afraid of doing any defamation,” he said.

The appeal comes as the DU steps up preventive measures against property defacement, including a Rs 1 lakh bond requirement for candidates.

Last year, the Delhi High Court withheld the counting of votes over campaign-related defacement, permitting it only after the damage was cleaned, and stressing that the intention was to “reform, not punish.”

In the 2024 polls, the Congress-backed NSUI made a comeback after seven years, winning the president and joint secretary posts, while the RSS-affiliated ABVP retained the secretary position and secured the vice president’s post.

Singh told students that keeping the campus clean was a year-round responsibility.

“Sensitisation alone is not enough; our minds should also be clean,” he said, urging them to report any unhygienic conditions to authorities. He also stressed the importance of environmental care, citing the pollution of rivers like the Yamuna as an example of neglect that needs urgent action.

The programme, attended by senior DU officials and hundreds of students, included a pledge against drug addiction and calls for patriotism and civic responsibility.