DUSU Elections 2026: NOTA gets 23,942 votes as students reject several candidates

The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections 2026 recorded 23,942 votes for the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option across the four key posts, reflecting a significant section of students choosing to reject all candidates on the ballot.

The NOTA tally was 268 votes higher than last year. The option allows voters to formally indicate that they do not support any of the candidates contesting an election.

For several DUSU posts, NOTA also polled more votes than candidates from the AISA-SFI Left alliance.

NOTA outpolls Left candidates for several posts

The sharpest rise in NOTA votes was recorded in the presidential contest. NOTA received 4,310 votes this year, compared with 3,175 last year, an increase of 1,135 votes.

The trend was different in the vice-presidential contest, where NOTA votes fell to 4,359 from 5,820 last year.

Even so, NOTA received substantially more votes than AISA-SFI candidate Akshat Shikhar, who secured 2,883 votes for the post.

NOTA crosses 7,000 votes for Secretary, Joint Secretary

NOTA recorded its highest tally in the Secretary election, with 7,884 votes. The figure was higher than the 7,639 votes secured by Pankaj Kumar of the Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing, ASAP.

In the Joint Secretary contest, NOTA polled 7,389 votes, exceeding the 5,837 votes secured by AISA-SFI candidate B. Parijat.

The numbers indicate that for multiple posts, a sizeable bloc of students chose not to back any of the candidates, rather than transferring their vote to one of the smaller student organisations.

Campaign style draws student criticism

The NOTA figures have emerged alongside criticism from some students over the nature of DUSU campaigning, particularly allegations and concerns surrounding the use of money and muscle power.

Some female students on the campus also voiced dissatisfaction with what they described as aggressive campaigning and performative politics during the election period.

The criticism reflects a broader concern among some students that DUSU politics is increasingly dominated by organisations with greater financial and organisational resources, particularly the ABVP and NSUI.

Independent candidate wins vice-president post

The vice-presidential result provided another notable departure from the dominance of major student organisations.

Independent candidate Deepanshu Shaukeen won the vice-president post, emerging ahead of candidates backed by the established student groups.

Taken together, the NOTA figures and the independent victory offer a snapshot of a DUSU electorate in which a section of students chose alternatives to the established political organisations or declined to support any candidate altogether.

The results do not, by themselves, establish a single reason for NOTA voting. However, the scale of the tally has brought renewed attention to student dissatisfaction with the style of campaigning and the growing influence of money and organisational power in campus politics.