DUSU polls: Delhi HC bans victory procession after results

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought to clip the wings of Delhi University’s electoral theatrics, barring candidates and student organisations from taking out victory processions anywhere in the national capital once the results of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls are announced on 19 September.

A bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela stressed that the judiciary was “not interfering with the elections,” but added a pointed warning: “If polls don’t take place in satisfactory order, we may stop functioning of the office bearers of the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU).”

The directions came during a hearing on a petition about defacement of public property during the campaign. The court was informed that canvassing had now ended, with voting scheduled for Thursday and counting the day after. It directed Delhi Police, university officials, and the civil administration to take “all possible and permissible steps” to ensure peace and order, while cautioning that any violation “may amount of contempt of court.”

The bench went further, directing Delhi Police and DU authorities to file status reports by 18 September, clearly detailing whether any violations occurred before or after the polls, and what remedial action had been taken. The judges noted that despite earlier orders and suggestions from stakeholders, “considering the large issue of violation of regulations, as brought up during hearing of the petition, several directions were issued, and actions were taken, still no result came out.”

What particularly irked the court was the tendency of victorious candidates to mark their win with noisy parades that, according to the bench, “police, or any other authorities are unable to stop.” While recording undertakings from some candidates not to take out such processions, the judges said mere assurances would not suffice.

“We appreciate such gestures… However, this does not appear to be sufficient. We direct that no victory procession shall be taken out by any candidate either in campus, or hostels, or in any area of the city,” the order read.

This stern line follows remarks the court made earlier in the week about the conspicuous display of wealth and clout during the campaign. The bench had observed that “high-end luxury vehicles, tractors and JCBs were being used for campaigning during the polls,” lamenting the spectacle of money and muscle power overwhelming what should have been a student election.

On Monday, it had “requested” candidates, supporters, and students not to indulge in violations until the poll process was over, warning them that any breach would be treated as contempt.

The petition itself was filed by advocate Prashant Manchanda, who raised concerns over flouting of guidelines designed to ensure orderly polls. His plea is only the latest in a series of interventions by the court in the notoriously boisterous DUSU elections. In 2024, for instance, the high court went so far as to halt declaration of results until candidates had removed all posters, hoardings, graffiti and other defacement, and public property was restored to its original condition.

Wednesday’s order, then, continues the court’s recent pattern: reluctant to interfere directly in the election process, but unwilling to let Delhi’s streets and campuses be overwhelmed by muscle-flexing or celebratory chaos. By drawing a clear line against processions, the bench signalled that DUSU politics must not spill unchecked into the capital’s public spaces.

With PTI inputs