DUSU Candidates Turn to Handwritten Cards as DU Enforces Strict Campaign Rules
Student outfits campaigning across Chhatra Marg in Delhi University's North Campus have turned to handwritten flyers, visiting-card-sized slips, and social media reels as the university tightens rules ahead of the Delhi University Students' Union elections on September 18.
Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the National Students' Union of India have engaged cadres, friends, and residents of hostels and paying guest accommodations to write campaign cards by hand. The shift follows university restrictions on printed pamphlets and materials aimed at preventing littering and defacement of university property.
According to an ABVP member, handwritten slips cost at least Re 1 each to produce, compared to 20 to 30 paise for earlier printed versions. Because of the labour-intensive process, campaign batches are often limited to roughly 500 cards at a time, prompting volunteers to collect distributed cards for reuse.
Physical poster campaigning has been largely confined to designated spaces. The Delhi University Proctor's Office directed principals across all 54 colleges to set up two 10-by-10-foot 'Walls of Democracy' per institution—one for DUSU-level campaigning and another for college-level polls.
Alongside physical curbs, candidates are relying heavily on short-form videos and reels produced by dedicated social media teams. Students from the Campus Law Centre noted that online outreach has expanded rapidly in response to tighter oversight on campus grounds.
The Proctor's Office introduced the measures following concerns over violations of Delhi High Court and Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, as well as traffic congestion caused by campaign convoys along Chhatra Marg and University Road.
Under the updated rules, campaign groups are limited to five members at a time on campus, and male campaigners other than candidates are prohibited from entering women's colleges and hostels. Parking near the North and South campuses and constituent colleges is banned, with candidates required to use designated parking areas. The administration has also warned that candidate nominations will be cancelled if supporters consume alcohol or use intoxicants on campus or inside vehicles.
Nominations for the DUSU elections close on September 10 ahead of voting on September 18. The current central panel consists of three office-bearers from the ABVP and one from the NSUI.
