Independent Deepanshu Shokeen wins DUSU vice-president post as ABVP takes three seat

Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen's victory in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) vice-president election has emerged as one of the key talking points of this year's contest, after he secured 30,615 votes to defeat ABVP's Ishu Maurya, who polled 16,910 votes.

NSUI's Vir Chatrath finished third with 4,313 votes, while joint Left candidate Akshat Shikhar secured 2,383 votes. Shokeen won without the backing of any student organisation after failing to secure an NSUI ticket.

The victory marked the return of an independent candidate to the DUSU central panel after 17 years. Shokeen's 30,615 votes were also the highest secured by any candidate across the four central panel contests this year. He won the vice-president's post by a margin of 13,705 votes.

CJP's Saurav Das calls result a 'sign of the times'

CJP co-convener Saurav Das backed Shokeen's victory and described it as a "sign of the times".

"So this is the real Gen-Z story from the DUSU election. The sign of the times. An independent candidate with years of hard work has scripted history by winning the highest votes in DUSU ever," Das wrote on X.

"Gen-Z scripted history for an independent. Can't read too much into this but those in government must understand the sign of the times," he added.

The result came as the ABVP won three of the four DUSU central panel posts, with Yash Dabas securing the presidency, Riya Chhawdi winning the secretary's post and Lakshya Raj Singh taking the joint secretary's position. The Congress-backed NSUI failed to win any of the four central panel posts.

The election recorded a voter turnout of 40.46 per cent, with 20 candidates contesting the four central panel positions.

Shokeen's journey from NSUI aspirant to independent candidate

A 21-year-old graduate of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Shokeen is pursuing a master's degree in the Department of Buddhist Studies. A resident of Peeragarhi village in west Delhi, he has been active in student politics with NSUI since 2023.

Shokeen had attempted to secure an NSUI ticket twice, in 2025 and 2026. He was initially considered a potential candidate for the Congress-backed student organisation, but his name was missing from the final list announced by NSUI on September 11. He subsequently decided to contest as an independent.

"I was confident that I would win, but the margin with which I won took me by surprise," Shokeen told HT.

He said he was disappointed after not being selected as the NSUI candidate but decided to rely on his work among students.

"I have been working on the ground with students for the past four years. Even though my party withdrew its support at the last minute, my confidence came from the hard work I had put in. A party can only give you a ticket, but students elect their representative. So, I decided to contest independently," said Shokeen.

"I had very little time to prepare. Within just three days, I had to launch my own manifesto and campaign," he added.

Shokeen is the son of a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus conductor, while his mother is an ASHA worker. He also has a younger brother who is still in school.

Recent reports have also highlighted that Shokeen campaigned independently after his break with NSUI and secured a decisive margin over the ABVP candidate in the vice-president contest.

ABVP secures three of four central panel posts

While Shokeen's victory provided an independent candidate with a major breakthrough, the overall DUSU result saw the ABVP secure three of the four central panel positions.

ABVP's Yash Dabas won the president's post with 24,576 votes, defeating NSUI's Vijai Shankar Meena, who secured 22,523 votes. Dabas won by a margin of 2,053 votes. Left candidate Anaya Raturi finished third with 5,377 votes, while ASAP's Ashmit Kumar polled 1,388 votes.

Riya Chhawdi won the secretary's post for the ABVP with 21,650 votes, while NSUI's Namrata Chaudhary secured 14,869 votes. Left candidate Stanzin Deskyong polled 8,734 votes and ASAP's Pankaj Kumar received 7,639 votes.

In the joint secretary contest, ABVP's Lakshya Raj Singh secured 16,615 votes. Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha candidate Vishesh Yadav finished second with 15,778 votes, while NSUI's Gopal Choudhary received 15,206 votes. Left candidate B Parijat polled 5,837 votes.

Dabas described the result as a victory for students, harmony, the Sangh and patriots, saying the outcome reflected the organisation's performance in the election.

Following his victory, Dabas said safety audits of colleges, hostels and paying guest accommodation would be among his priorities, referring to recent concerns over student safety and accommodation.

The DUSU central panel comprises the posts of president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary. The 2026 results left the ABVP with three positions, while Shokeen became the sole independent winner on the panel.