DUSU Election Results LIVE: Counting Resumes After Faulty EVMs Force Halt, NSUI Demands Fresh Polls

For the secretary post, in case the margin is less than 426, the result will not be announced and DUSU election committee will decide on re-counting for the two EVMs. However, if the vote margin between top two candidates for secretary post is more than 426 votes, results will be declared today itself, Times of India reported.

ABVP Refutes NSUI's Allegations | Ashish Chauhan, national general secretary of ABVP refuted allegations levelled by NSUI in its statement. “If madam @guptar is so confident of winning 3/4 posts in #DUSUElection2018, then why is her party stalling counting on these three posts. I am confident of @ABVPVoice’s win in all 4 post not 3/4 like NSUI incharge,” Chauhan tweeted. The NSUI, had released a statement alleging that the counting on EVMs had no credibility. "NSUI was winning the DUSU election after six rounds when the EVMs magically started malfunctioning. One EVM showed votes on secretary post on ballot number 10 when there are only eight candidatess. EVM also showed zero votes for NSUI candidate," the statement read. 

If madam @guptar is so confident of winning 3/4 posts in #DUSUElection2018, then why is her party stalling counting on these three posts.

I am confident of @ABVPVoice’s win in all 4 post not 3/4 like NSUI incharge. https://t.co/1xUuwg9Tla

— Ashish Chauhan (@AshishSainram) September 13, 2018

National president of NSUI, Fairoz Khan said that all EVMs were working fine on Wednesday and alleged that the administration was involved in the malfuntioning of the EVMs . “There are only 8 candidates, so how is it possible that votes were cast to a 10th candidate? All machines were fine yesterday. Police and administration are involved in this,” Khan was quoted as saying by ANI.

There are only 8 candidates, so how is it possible that votes were cast to a 10th candidate? All machines were fine yesterday. Police&administration are involved in this: Fairoz Khan, National President, NSUI on counting suspended after 6 EVMs stopped working in #DUSUElection2018 pic.twitter.com/kLqZumaLye

— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2018

The ABVP had rubbished allegations of EVM tampering and termed it a 'juvenile technique'. “When loss looks inevitable, clutching onto the excuse of ‘tampered EVMs’ is an old and juvenile technique! ABVP urges both the organisations to not interrupt the counting and face the results gracefully,” ABVP tweeted.

When loss looks inevitable, clutching onto the excuse of ‘tampered EVMs’ is an old and juvenile technique! ABVP urges both the organisations to not interrupt the counting and face the results gracefully. #DUSUElection2018 #ABVP4DUSU

— ABVP (@ABVPVoice) September 13, 2018

NSUI Issues Statement | The NSUI, meanwhile released a statement alleging that the counting on EVMs had no credibility. "NSUI was winning the DUSU election after six rounds when the EVMs magically started malfunctioning. One EVM showed votes on secretary post on ballot number 10 when there are only eight candidatess. EVM also showed zero votes for NSUI candidate. It is clear that any further counting on these EVMs has no credibility and we demand that our candidates are declared winners immediately," NSUI statement said. In its statement, the NSUI further said that they would not allow “the fascist RSS-BJP to subvert the democratic mandate”. Ruchi Gupta, national in-charge of the NSUI, who tweeted the statement, also demanded that NSUI candidates be declared winners. 

NSUI statement on the unprecedented and shameful episode of blatant EVM tampering in #DUSUElection2018 today. We demand that NSUI candidates who were leading should be declared winners, no credibility of the counting process now #DUSU2018 pic.twitter.com/VUNC7cTYc2

— Ruchi Gupta (@guptar) September 13, 2018

Counting Resumes | "After elaborate discussions it was decided that the counting will be resumed today. All candidates have reached an agreement on this," an election officer for DUSU polls told PTI. "We had proposed rectification of the faulty EVMs and resumption of the counting but the students were not ready for it. It was decided to suspend counting in the afternoon," he added. In the initial trends, Congress-backed NSUI was leading for the president post, while BJP-affiliated ABVP was leading for the vice president's post. 

Counting, which was suspended, will resume from the seventh round. After six rounds of counting, supporters of different parties clashed over faulty EVMs and allegations of tampering.

AAP leader Dilip Pandey, hit out at the Narendra Modi-led government's proposal of conducting simultaneous elections. He said that that those advocating for one nation one poll, were not able to conduct a students' union poll properly. His comments came after counting of votes for Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) polls was suspended due to fault in EVMs which led to chaos among students.

"पूरे देश मे एक साथ चुनाव कराने की वकालत करने वाली सरकार, एक छात्र संघ का चुनाव सही से नही करवा पा रही है।
यह सब देश की जनता समझ रही है"- @dilipkpandey (DUSU चुनाव की गिनती में हुई गड़बड़ी पर) pic.twitter.com/zZFKT7s3pq

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) September 13, 2018

Counting Expected to Resume Soon | Counting of votes which was suspended due to faulty EVMs is expected to resume in next half an hour, PTI reported.

Delhi HC Makes Observation on JNU Student Body Polls | Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court remarked that pre-poll debates need not be limited to varsity elections in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and it should be taken beyond that, PTI reported.  Justice Siddharth Mridul had posed the query to Congress leader and senior advocate Salman Khurshid on Monday during hearing of a JNU student's plea challenging cancellation of his candidature for the post of president in the upcoming students' union elections in the varsity. "Why should debates be limited to JNU elections only? You should take it beyond," the court had suggested to the Congress leader.

Whenever Congress Leads, EVMs Malfunction, Says Surjewala | Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, commenting on the faulty EVMs that led to the suspension of vote counting in the DUSU elections said, “The country needs to think whether such EVMs can protect the democracy. Congress’ NSUI was leading and whenever Congress leads, EVMs malfunction.”

No Decision on Resumption of Counting | There was no update from the election committee on whether the counting would be resumed on Thursday or postponed to some other day, Hindustan Times reported.

Fairoz Khan, the all India president of NSUI accused the ABVP of murdering democracy. “EVM's are being misused in such a manner that NSUI candidates are getting zero votes and rest votes are being polled on the 10th number, where there are 8 Candidate names and no time as 10th number. ABVP has thus murdered Democracy today. #murderersofdemocracy,” Khan said in a Tweet.

EVM's are being misused in such a manner that NSUI candidates are getting zero votes and rest votes are being polled on the 10th number, where there are 8 Candidate names and no time as 10th number. ABVP has thus murdered Democracy today. #murderersofdemocracy pic.twitter.com/m1uHe02YCt

— Fairoz Khan (@Fairoz_JK) September 13, 2018

On Wednesday, ABVP tweeted photos of candidates and claimed that its panel had made a clean sweep in most colleges of Delhi University.  

Abvp panel clean sweep in most of the colleges of Delhi University, pic.twitter.com/blJP9jCqDD

— ABVP Delhi (@ABVPDelhi) September 12, 2018

NSUI Accuses ABVP of Sabotage | NSUI alleging sabotage by ABVP said, “NSUI was leading the president and secretary post after 6 rounds. Then 6 EVMs started malfunctioning and EC wanted to set those aside. How is it that machines which were working till yesterday during polling are no longer working during counting?” NSUI asked why Shakti Singh (ABVP vice-president candidate) was not disqualified after he “went on a rampage with his goons in Zakir Hussain College”. Why was no was action taken on the written complaint, the NSUI further asked.  

Ruchi Gupta, national in-charge of the NSUI, alleged that malfunctioning EVMs always seemed to favour BJP and its affiliates. In a tweet, she said, “One EVM shows NO votes for NSUI candidate. Remarkable coincidence that malfunctioning EVMs always seem to favor BJP and its affiliates.”

One EVM shows NO votes for NSUI candidate. Remarkable coincidence that malfunctioning EVMs always seem to favor BJP and its affiliates

— Ruchi Gupta (@guptar) September 13, 2018

In the initial trends, Congress-backed NSUI was leading for the president post, while BJP-affiliated ABVP was leading for the vice president's post. Amid heavy police presence and some last-minute wooing of voters, DUSU polls were held on Wednesday with a voter turnout of 44.46 per cent. Polling took place at 52 centres in the colleges with 23 candidates in the fray.

The counting for Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections was suspended midway on Thursday due to "faulty EVMs and the students' uproar over it", an university official told PTI. The counting was initially stopped for an hour when there were allegations of faulty EVMs, however, following objections by students the election officials decided to suspend the counting. "We had proposed rectification of the faulty EVMs and resumption of the counting but the students were not ready for it. It was decided to suspend counting. A fresh date for the counting will be announced soon," an election officer for DUSU polls was quoted as saying by PTI.

The supporters of both the groups shouted slogans against the Delhi University (DU) administration and created a ruckus inside the counting centre. "A fresh date for the counting will be announced soon," an election officer for the DUSU polls said. 

ABVP Demands Counting be Resumed |  Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's (ABVP) Shakti Singh said, "Only one EVM was faulty and it can be repaired. We want the counting to be resumed. Since we were leading on all the seats, the other parties are demanding fresh elections."

Counting Halted Because of  'Faulty EVMs' |The counting was initially stopped for an hour after the allegations of faulty EVMs surfaced. However, following objections by the students, the election officials decided to suspend the process. "The polls are being held at the behest of the central government. The EVMs were tampered with. We want fresh elections," Rocky Tuseed of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) said.

NSUI Wants Fresh Election, ABVP Demands Counting to be Resumed | The Congress-affiliated NSUI on Thursday demanded that fresh polling be held for the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) election, while the RSS's student wing, the ABVP, wanted the counting of votes, which has been suspended, to be resumed. The counting of votes for the DUSU polls was suspended midway on Thursday due to "faulty EVMs and the students' uproar over it".

After much drama that dotted the counting, the process has finally been called-off for the day. Students were asked to "go home" as fresh dates for the counting would be announced soon. "Counting has been suspended due to faulty EVMs,"  DU official said. The ABVP has, however, been pressing to continue the counting. The security has been beefed up keeping in view the volatile situation. 

Security personnel stand guard as clashes broke out after the counting was suspended. 

NSUI are alleging that the EVMs have been tampered as  Akash Choudhary, NSUI's candidate for secretary post, was leading by 2,200 votes at the end of round six. Just as the seventh round started, his lead was slashed to 300. 

Amid the clashes at the centre in Kingsway Camp after the counting was stopped due to technical error in EVMs,    University Proctor and Election incharge have arrived. The counting has resumed again as ABVP and NSUI protested against the delay.

The Delhi University administration has confirmed that malfunctioning of EVMs has forced them to stop the counting process. However, the ABVP supporters are demanding for the counting to be resumed.

Technical glitch seems to be taking a toll on the counting of DUSU elections. The EVMs have stopped again and counting has been suspended for the day. Fresh dates for counting will be announced later. 

Clashes have broken out inside the centre as NSUI halted the counting after they alleged "suspicious ballot activity". Protesting NSUI candidates broke the window  panes. The NSUI supporters clashed with the ABVP, who were demanding the counting to be resumed. NSUI has accused the Delhi University adminstration of being under pressure form the BJP government to tamper results in favour of  ABVP.

Irrespective of who is going to win, Birju, the dhol wala, will be beating the drums as and when the results are announced. He has been waiting near the gate since 10 in the morning. A regular part of DUSU election celebrations for many years now, Birju plays for the winning party.