The Delhi High Court on September 30 dismissed a petition filed by NSUI candidate Vijay Shankar Meena challenging the 2026 Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) presidential election result. The petition alleged irregularities and partisan conduct by university officials during the election process.
Justice Saurabh Banerjee held that the material placed before the Court was insufficient to establish that university officials had canvassed for any candidate during the elections. The Court also noted that several photographs relied upon by Meena did not carry details showing when or where they were taken.
Background
The DUSU election results were declared on September 19, 2026. ABVP candidate Yash Dabas was elected President with 24,576 votes, while Vijay Shankar Meena secured 22,523 votes. Dabas therefore won the presidential contest by 2,053 votes.
Meena approached the High Court alleging irregularities in the election and claimed that certain professors, administrators and election officers had acted in favour of ABVP candidates. He relied on photographs and videos in support of his allegations.
Justice Banerjee found that the photographs, by themselves, could not establish election campaigning or bias. The Court also noted the absence of clear dates and times connected with the material placed before it.
The Court observed:
“Somebody has come and taken a photograph, does not mean he is canvassing. After election, how does it matter? Before election, they cannot. There is no date, time. With respect to the video link, you are fairly submitting that this after the election. After the election, it does not matter.”
The Court further held that the material produced was not sufficient to establish canvassing by persons associated with Delhi University. It also considered the petitioner’s reliance on the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, which provide guidelines concerning student elections.
The Court held that the petitioner had failed to establish the date and time of the alleged events and, therefore, the Lyngdoh Committee report could not assist his challenge in the present proceedings.
The Court accordingly dismissed the petition while directing Delhi University to consider Meena’s separate representation concerning his election-related grievances expeditiously.
