Free Wi-Fi sanitary pad vending machine, rollback of the National Education Policy (NEP), and menstrual leave policy — these are the promises made by the electoral manifesto of the top contender in this year’s Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. The three main contenders for DUSU polls — Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Congress’s National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), and the Left alliance of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Association (AISA) — unveiled their manifestos, which mainly focused on women’s empowerment and student welfare.

At the heart of these manifestos are student issues: affordable education, safe campus, access to hostels, and other related topics. The ABVP, which has long commanded Delhi University’s electoral space, rolled out a manifesto leaning towards public promises and welfare that include subsidised metro passes, Wi-Fi, subsidised health insurance, accessibility audits, and expanded hospital facilities.

Various Party Manifesto

“The ABVP manifesto highlights the real issues faced by students of Delhi University. It reflects our belief that students are not merely citizens of tomorrow but also active citizens of today… By prioritising subsidised metro passes, provision for specially-abled students, and women-centric measures, this manifesto demonstrates that an ABVP-led DUSU is committed to working 365 days a year,” said ABVP’s national general secretary, Virendra Singh Solanki.

The ABVP’s presidential candidate for this year, Aryan Maan, said, “This year, we are determined to ensure adequate sports facilities, nutrition, campus accessibility audits for specially-abled students, and free Wi-Fi access. With these initiatives, we aim to establish Delhi University as a premier global institution.”

The manifesto launched by Congress-backed NSUI echoed the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s rhetoric of opening a ‘Mohabbat ki Dukaan’.

“We are confident of winning 4-0… We are following the path of Bahujan Nayak Shri Rahul Gandhi and are determined to safeguard the Constitution of India. Once again, we will open the Mohabbat ki Dukaan in Delhi University, where diversity, love, and dignity for all will remain a top priority,” said NSUI national president Varun Chowdhury. This year’s manifesto, launched by NSUI on Friday last week, promised scrapping of Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA)-linked fees, granting up to 12 days of menstrual leave per semester, rolling back the National Education Policy 2020, and upgrading hostels as well as classrooms, which came out as central issues.

The empowerment manifesto of NSUI focuses on women’s empowerment, pledges zero tolerance for harassment, legal aid cells, increased female security, personal sanitary napkin vending machines, and medical counselling centres in every college.

The SFI–AISA alliance presented itself as the conscience of student politics. The party candidates Anjali Sohan, Abhinanda, and Abhishek highlighted the central points of the manifesto that include affordable education and hostels for all. The alliance also promised to resist fee hikes, push for elected internal complaints committees, and establish gender-sensitisation cells in all colleges. The SFI–AISA alliance vowed to implement a menstrual leave policy for women students and further demanded the inclusion of women’s colleges like Lady Shri Ram College, Gargi College, and Daulat Ram College in the student union. Other important issues raised by the alliance’s manifesto include concessional metro passes, campaigns for Common University Entrance Test (CUET) admission assistance.

In their joint appeal, the alliance’s student leaders pointed towards NSUI and ABVP, stating, “The still rampant use of money and muscle power by organisations like the NSUI and ABVP makes it urgent for students to vote for those who have been sincere to the cause of student welfare.”

What is ASAP ?

The three major panels are ready to battle out the DUSU polls, as the Aam Aadmi Party re-launched its student wing called the All Student Action Party (ASAP), which will not contest this year’s election.

“We won’t be contesting this year… We are focusing on building the party together, bringing up units in every college, and making our presence stronger by voicing student concerns. We will fight next year if our base is stronger,” said ASAP member Eshwar Chand. The party was launched earlier this year as a revamped version of the Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS).

Chand pointed towards their current ongoing protests, which include calls to boycott the India–Pakistan cricket match after the Pahalgam killing. According to the leader, this reflects the party’s grassroots-level presence. “We are active on the ground and want to keep this momentum going.”

DUSU elections will be held on September 18, and results are to be declared the very next day.