DUSU polls: Student wing membership not association with political party, says HC

The Delhi High Court, sitting as a division bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, held that mere membership of a student union backed by a political party will not be treated as an association with that party for the purpose of contesting the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections scheduled for Friday. The judgment came in response to a public‑interest litigation that alleged breaches of the Lyngdoh Committee’s guidelines and the DUSU Constitution, which aim to keep campus elections independent of party politics.

The petition highlighted that several student organisations, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP) – the student wing of the Aam Aadmi Party – had announced candidates and, in some cases, displayed party symbols. The court observed a specific instance where a candidate declared his presidential bid while also indicating party affiliation and a symbol, and directed the university authorities and the Chief Election Officer to ensure the election process remains completely free of any party‑linked interference.

The Lyngdhoh Committee, set up after a 2006 Supreme Court directive, issued recommendations to safeguard free and fair campus polls, which have since been codified as election guidelines. The High Court’s ruling reinforces those safeguards, signalling to student bodies and political parties that any overt party involvement could be scrutinised and barred. The decision is expected to shape how student wings field candidates and could influence the broader debate on political parties’ role in university governance.