Muted DUSU polls: anti-defacement rules dull the campaign buzz

With the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls scheduled for September 18, the atmosphere across campus appears more subdued than in previous years. The introduction of strict anti-defacement guidelines has curbed the boisterous displays once synonymous with student politics at the university.

This year, posters are no longer plastered across every wall, lamp post and corridor. Instead, the administration has designated a single ‘Wall of Democracy’ for campaign material outside multiple campuses.

Raju, a rickshaw puller who has been ferrying students for over a decade and has closely observed the changing election atmosphere, reminisced: “Iss saal ka maahol toh bhot shant hai. Phle toh North Campus ki road se nikalna mushkil hota tha, bache rally nikalte the, parche lage hote the puri diwaro pr, poster lagate the puri road par. (This year the mood is very quiet. Earlier, it was difficult even to pass through the North Campus roads, as students would take out rallies, walls would be plastered with pamphlets, and posters lined the entire streets.)”

Campaigns adapt to restrictions

Despite the muted look, election fervour has not fully disappeared. Student wings have adapted quickly, with volunteers distributing handmade cards bearing candidates’ names and party affiliations. From one college to another, young campaigners have been urging peers to lend their support.

The more flamboyant side of DU politics, however, continues to thrive. North Campus has been dominated by convoys of multi-lakh rupee SUVs emblazoned with candidates’ names, blaring horns and rallying cries. Car processions snake through the streets, each a display of influence and financial muscle. At the same time, candidates have turned to door-to-door canvassing, entering classrooms and hostels to connect directly with voters.

The Wall of Democracy now stands thick with overlapping posters, a collage of competing visions and promises. Despite the tighter rules, the underlying energy of the DUSU elections, where ideology often meets showmanship, remains palpable.

Freshers’ mixed reactions

For many freshers, the new restrictions may have dimmed the colour of campus campaigning, while others welcomed the guidelines, saying they would curb wasteful spending on placards, posters and banners that damage university property.

Speaking to Patriot, Anjana Krishnan, a fresher from Kerala, said she had missed what was considered the most vibrant time of DU, when students experienced a high-profile political battle between rival student wings.

“The elections where the candidates light up the atmosphere of the university with the posters, banners, and loudspeakers etc. I have dreamt of witnessing that environment since 10 standard, but these guidelines have put curbs on the campaigns,” she said.

Another student, Raj Aryan from Bihar, echoed a similar sentiment, saying that this year the atmosphere of the university felt dull. It did not even seem that voting day was just around the corner. “The candidates along with their supporters are only conducting college-to-hostel campaigns to seek votes and making poll promises,” he said.

Nisha Sharma, a fresher from the Faculty of Arts, said she had heard from seniors and relatives that DUSU elections were once a vibrant spectacle—colourful posters, noisy rallies and the buzz of politics everywhere. But this year felt muted. She understood the importance of preserving property, she added, but felt the restrictions had taken away a sense of festivity.

Ankit, a fresher from the Faculty of Arts who goes only by his first name, supported the move.

“The anti-defacement guidelines made by the university are a splendid thing done to curb the damage of property. The candidates of the student political wing think that they are above the law and they can do anything in college premises.” He added that the polls rarely addressed genuine student concerns and instead repeated the same issues year after year.

Simran Kaur, a fresher from Miranda House, reflected that while DUSU elections were hailed as the biggest stage for student democracy, most campaigns revolved around numbers, influence and power rather than campus problems. Issues such as overcrowded classrooms, lack of Wi-Fi, and women’s safety were rarely given serious attention, she said. At the same time, she felt the new rules had restored order on campus, though the “spirit of discussion, dialogue, and debate should not be lost.”

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University tightens enforcement

As the elections draw near, the varsity has tightened its stance on campaign practices by issuing fresh directives to all affiliated colleges. In a communication dated August 27, the university instructed college principals to act as “Anti-Defacement Heads” for their institutions, making them directly responsible for ensuring that no posters, banners, wall writings, hoardings, or similar materials appear within or around campuses.

The order emphasised that such acts of defacement not only violate legal provisions but also erode the academic environment. By holding principals accountable, the administration aims to enforce discipline during the high-voltage campaign season and reduce the long-standing problem of indiscriminate poster-plastering across North and South Campus.

This crackdown follows criticism from the Delhi High Court, which last year reprimanded the university for failing to curb rampant defacement of public property during campaigning. The court’s intervention has compelled the university to introduce tougher monitoring and enforcement mechanisms ahead of this year’s polls.