Delhi High Court Permits DUSU Elections, Halts Vote Counting Until Cleanup Completed
The Delhi High Court has approved the upcoming Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections, set for tomorrow, but has ordered that vote counting be delayed until all campaign posters and graffiti are removed from campus. This ruling came during a hearing of the case Prashant Manchanda v. Union of India & Ors, where the Court expressed concerns over the defacement of public and private property during the election campaign.
Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela emphasized that while the elections should proceed, counting must be put on hold until candidates address the littering and defacement caused by their campaign materials. The Court remarked, “It would not be proper to countermand the elections, but we suggest that counting of votes be postponed until the candidates remove all the posters, graffiti, and compensate the civic agency for the damages.”
The Court was responding to a plea from Advocate Prashant Manchanda, who highlighted the extensive defacement of property, including walls of bus stations, metro stations, and police stations, resulting from aggressive campaigning. He pointed out that such actions violate previous court orders and the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines aimed at reducing campaign excesses.
During the proceedings, the Court noted that the University acknowledged its failure to enforce these regulations and had instructed candidates to remove their campaign materials. Manchanda argued for the cancellation of the elections, stating that allowing them to proceed would send a message condoning the candidates’ misconduct.
In a stark observation, Justice Manmohan commented on the significant financial resources involved in campaigning, stating, “Let the money spent on campaigning go down the drain. This defacement is worse than during General Elections!” He placed the responsibility for cleanup squarely on the candidates, asserting that they should finance the restoration of damaged properties.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) reported substantial expenses related to cleaning up the defacement and suggested that the University should reimburse them and recover costs from the candidates responsible for the violations.
The Court’s ruling serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining public spaces and upholding the integrity of the electoral process, particularly in educational institutions.
(With inputs from agency)
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