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The Delhi High Court on Monday permitted the Delhi University to start the vote counting process on or before November 26, subject to its satisfaction over the cleaning measures undertaken by the students.
The decision brought relief to the student bodies eager for clarity on the outcome of the elections that witnessed significant participation. (Representative/File Photo)
The students of Delhi University (DU) on Monday welcomed the high court’s decision to permit the DU to initiate counting of votes for its student union elections held in September, with the varsity planning to hold a meeting on Tuesday to finalise the date of announcing the results.
The Delhi High Court on Monday permitted the Delhi University to start the vote counting process on or before November 26, subject to its satisfaction over the cleaning measures undertaken by the students.
An official from the DUSU election office said the varsity will hold a meeting on Tuesday to decide the date for announcing the results, which are pending for over a month now, a first in the university’s history.
A bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said while most colleges on the north and south campuses were cleaned up by the candidates, photographs showed certain properties close to the campuses still bearing posters and graffiti.
The counsel appearing for the candidates assured to remove any such material from the remaining properties within a week.
“(The matter is closed) with a direction to DU to undertake the counting process on or before November 26 if it is satisfied that the (remaining) sites are cleaned and repainted within a week,” the bench noted.
The decision brought relief to the student bodies eager for clarity on the outcome of the elections that witnessed significant participation.
An upbeat Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), urged the DU authorities to expedite the results and consider reforms for future elections.
“We have been waiting for this for long. ABVP welcomes the court’s decision to announce the results before November 26. We now demand the DU administration to soon announce the date for declaring the results,” Ashutosh Singh, national media convenor of ABVP, said.
“We also want DU to take the views of all the stakeholders for introducing reforms in the DUSU polls so that a similar situation does not arise again,” he added.
Welcoming the move, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress, called for ensuring transparency and accountability in the vote-counting process.
“The NSUI respects the court’s decision on DUSU results. However, it is crucial that the DU administration announces the date for counting of votes without any further delay,” Ravi Pandey, chairman of NSUI’s media cell, said.
“While the students have shown immense participation, it is important that the counting process is held in a transparent manner with utmost integrity. We urge the administration to ensure that the entire process is open and accountable so that the students’ trust in the system is not compromised,” Pandey added.
DUSU elections were held on September 27 but the counting of votes — scheduled for September 28 — was stalled by the high court till all the defacement materials, including posters, hoardings and graffiti, were removed and public property restored.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
