HC to hear plea on corrupt practices in DU elections

The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea alleging that most of the candidates in upcoming Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) election are indulging, abetting and practicing all "illegal activities" which are considered as "corrupt practices".

The plea filed by a first-year-student of law faculty in DU, Ruby, said that the candidates are indulged in offences such as bribing of voters, intimidation of voters, canvasing and holding public meetings and using propaganda outside the university or college campus premises.

Advocate Subhash Chandran mentioned the case before a division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, which posted it for September 7.

The plea said that candidates are using printed posters in the style of handmade posters, huge procession of car rally's on public road costing several lacks of rupees for the election which is to be held on September 11.

Most of the candidates who belong to the various political parties like the Bhartiya Janta Party, the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party are contesting through their students outfits like ABVP, NSUI, CYSS, said the plea.

AAP led student organization Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) organized rock concerts and fresher's parties as a part of the election campaign in Talkatora Stadium on September 1 which is in complete violation of the Lyngdoh Committee Report (LCR) guidelines.

That LCR had come with the aim of curbing the influence of money and muscle power in the students' union elections, while today on the other hand elections are held in very few institutions, the petition stated.

It is submitted that walls across Delhi are being defaced with printed posters which are camouflaged to pass off as "handmade posters" which is in clear violation of LCR.

The Chief Election Officer is duty bound to follow the directions issued by the Supreme Court after adopting LCR while conducting the students union election in DU.

Seeking disqualification of all the candidates who indulged in corrupt practices, the plea said if these candidates are permitted to contest in the election it will be a complete failure of democratic system of the DUSU ellection 2015-16.

"The activities committed by these candidates amounts to criminal in nature. It is reported that more than 60 FIRs has been registered by the Delhi police with regard to various crimes committed by candidates and their student's organisations in violation of various guidelines issued by the Supreme Court that way they are ineligible to contest as a candidate," the petition stated.