New Delhi: In Delhi University , where student union elections, particularly the presidential contest, have long remained a Jat-versus-Gurjar battle, NSUI has fielded Vijay Shankar Meena, an Adivasi student from Rajasthan, for the top post this year – a move that marks a break from a pattern that has long dominated the DUSU presidency.
This year, however, NSUI has picked Meena, who belongs to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community. Originally from Rajasthan, Meena describes himself as a first-generation learner — the first in his family to pursue higher education and come to DU. He joined the university for his MA and is currently pursuing his postgraduate studies in Buddhist Studies. Both his parents are persons with disabilities and the family’s livelihood comes from farming, with others cultivating their land. Meanwhile, ABVP has fielded Yash Dabas, a Jat candidate from Kanjhawala in Delhi’s rural belt, for president; Ishu Maurya, an OBC candidate from UP, for vice-president; Riya Chhawadi, a Gurjar from south Delhi’s Molarband, for secretary; and Lakshya Raj Singh, a Rajput from Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region, for joint secretary. This year’s fight is not a simple two-way contest. The traditional NSUI-ABVP contest is facing a challenge from the Left, which has sought to carry the energy of recent student movements into the election. The AISA-SFI alliance has fielded Ananya Raturi for president, along with candidates who have been associated with recent protests, including the one at Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak.