The All India Students’ Association (AISA), which gained prominence during the Jantar Mantar protest, is hoping to turn its visibility among students into electoral gains in the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, as it seeks to challenge the long-standing dominance of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).
AISA, which is currently conducting a month-long nationwide campaign, ‘GenZ Rising’, has been highlighting the protest in its campaign at the university. The organisation also held a victory march at DU earlier this month, where Neha, who emerged as a prominent face during the Jantar Mantar protest, addressed students on the North Campus.
Anjali, AISA’s Delhi University secretary, said the organisation was using the protest to underline its position on student issues. “We have been talking to students about how it was clear who was pro-student and who was anti-student while such a historic movement was ongoing,” she said.
She said the political climate on campus had changed after the protests. “A change is obvious this time. Earlier, when we would go campaigning, it would take us a few days to introduce students to politics. But now, they are more comfortable with politics,” she said.
Poll schedule
The DUSU elections will be held on September 18, with counting scheduled for the following day. While candidates are yet to be announced, campaigning in classes and colleges has already begun, with the Jantar Mantar protest emerging as a key point of contest. Student organisations are highlighting who participated in the protests and who stayed away.
The NSUI joined the protest following violence against students, while the ABVP stayed away.
For years, the DUSU has been dominated by the ABVP and the NSUI. Last year, an AISA-SFI alliance finished third behind the two organisations but failed to win any post on the central panel. The ABVP currently holds three posts and the NSUI one.
Likely alliance
AISA and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) are likely to join hands again this year, although the two organisations are yet to hold formal discussions on an alliance. Adarsh M. Saji, SFI president, said the organisation hoped to carry the momentum of the protest into the elections.
“We are raising issues from FYUP to hostel issues and curriculum changes, while also trying new ways of campaigning on social media this time,” he said.
AISA’s campaign comes against the backdrop of efforts by the university to curb the money and muscle power traditionally associated with DUSU elections. This will be the second election since the university introduced stricter guidelines aimed at keeping campaign displays to a minimum.
The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) relaunched student organisation, Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), has also confirmed that it will contest the elections. Eeshna Gupta, co-in-charge of ASAP Delhi, said, “This time, the air is different with Gen Z momentum. Money and muscle will not resonate with the students, and they want to talk about student issues.”
Published – August 18, 2026 07:23 pm IST
