New Delhi: Political parties have no role to play in Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, Delhi High Court underlined Wednesday, but added that a college student cannot be disqualified as a candidate merely if that person is a member of any outfit’s student wing.
The student organisations which have made certain declarations… regarding affiliation of the candidates cannot be termed to be political parties,” a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed while dealing with a plea challenging the Sept 11 notification issued by the chief election officer listing candidates eligible to contest various DUSU posts. “What is prohibited is the association of political parties in the student election process.
Because a candidate is a member of the student wing of a political party, it would not amount to association with that political party, “Merely. Therefore, it will not be in violation of the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines,” it added, rejecting the challenge to the participation of candidates affiliated with student wings of political parties, including NSUI and ABVP , in the upcoming DUSU elections.
However, a student wing has to be “differentiated” from its political party, it clarified. The petitioner’s counsel argued that the members of student wings of political parties cannot be permitted to contest DUSU polls, as participation of political parties was prohibited under the Lyngdoh Committee report, which was accepted by Supreme Court and Centre. HC stressed the Lyngdoh report in no uncertain terms prohibits the participation of a person who is not a bona fide student and the association of the student elections with political parties — a term that is defined in the Representation of the People Act. The bench cautioned against the participation and influence of political parties in the DUSU elections and asked DU authorities to take note of a social media post by a candidate of AAP’s student wing for allegedly displaying not only the name of the party but also its election symbol.