New Delhi: The recent Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) victory in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections has been cited by a study as an indication of declining support for the Congress-linked student organisation National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) among Delhi University students.
The study said NSUI failed to win any of the four central-panel posts in the 2026 DUSU elections and recorded a sharp decline in vote share compared with previous years. It linked the trend to what it described as declining influence of the wider Congress ecosystem among Delhi’s student population.
NSUI Vote Share Falls From 35.79% to 23.39%
The study, titled “Delhi University Student Union Election Comparative Study 2023 to 2026”, said NSUI’s vote share fell from 35.79 per cent to 23.39 per cent within two years.
According to the study, NSUI had won two seats, including the presidency, in 2024. However, in the 2026 elections, it failed to secure even a single seat on the central panel.
The study said the sharp decline indicated that the Congress ecosystem had struggled to maintain lasting influence among Delhi University students.
ABVP Wins 3 of 4 Posts, But Vote Share Also Falls
The study also flagged a decline in ABVP’s vote share despite its victory in the elections. The RSS and BJP-backed student organisation won three of the four central-panel posts.
According to the study, ABVP’s vote share declined by around 6.88 percentage points, from 39.66 per cent in 2025 to 32.78 per cent in 2026.
The study said the decline should not be ignored despite ABVP continuing to win a majority of the seats. It suggested that the trend could indicate growing space for independents and other student groups.
The study also said that while it viewed the Left-Congress ecosystem as having lost influence, the ABVP should examine the reasons behind its own decline in vote share.
Study Examines AAP Student Wing’s Return
The study also discussed the performance of the Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), the student outfit associated with the Aam Aadmi Party.
It said AAP’s student wing, Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), returned to campus politics in 2026 after staying away from elections through 2024 and contested under the rebranded name ASAP.
According to the study, the delayed and rebranded return appeared aimed at reinventing the organisation’s campus identity and regaining relevance in Delhi University politics.
The study compared DUSU central-panel results, voter trends, alliances and external factors affecting election outcomes between 2023 and 2026.