Delhi HC allows DUSU elects to take charge, asks them for reply on NSUI's re-election plea

The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed elected Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) office bearers to take charge, after the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) filed a plea to declare the election null and void.

While allowing the three student-elects — all from the ABVP — to take charge, the court sought their stand before passing any order on the plea which has called for re-election.

Justice Siddharth Mridul agreed to examine the plea by three candidates of the NSUI, and ordered DU’s Chief Electoral Officer to ensure that the EVMs used in the poll are “secured”.

“The Chief Electoral Officer of the Delhi University (DU) is directed to ensure that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) utilised for polling and counting along with the paper trail and other documents be kept in a secure place under lock and key,” the court said.

It issued notices to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Election Commission of India, DU and its Chief Electoral Officer and the three ABVP candidates — Ankiv Basoya, Shakti Singh and Jyoti Choudhary — who won the recent elections.

Directing them to file their response in three weeks, the court set the next date of hearing on October 29. The court refused to stop the three from functioning as office bearers. “Eventually they be given time to respond, till then no action,” said Justice Mridul.

Senior advocate Anoop George Chaudhari, appearing for the three NSUI candidates, argued that over 1.5 lakh students had cast their votes in the polls, held on September 12, and the voting machines were tampered with.

Central government standing counsel Anil Soni opposed their plea and said same EVMs were used in various Bar elections and most recently at the Delhi Bar Association election. Soni contended that the same EVMs were used in the DUSU polls held in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2017, but the NSUI had not raised any objections then.
News Source (Indian Express)