Archive · 22 Sep 2026
NSUI’s DUSU Rout Tests Rahul Gandhi’s Gen Z Strategy
The NSUI, the student group linked to Congress, lost every main post in the Delhi University student elections.
The ABVP won three of the four positions.
A former NSUI member, Deepanshu Shokeen, won the remaining post as an independent.
He defeated the NSUI candidate for vice-president by more than 13,000 votes.
This happened while Rahul Gandhi was holding a large student outreach event in Indore.
Rahul Gandhi’s office has asked for an explanation of what went wrong.
Some people have questioned how the candidates were chosen and how the campaign was run.
A former DUSU president also criticized Kanhaiya Kumar’s involvement in the elections.
The result has raised doubts about whether large student gatherings can become actual votes and strong campus organizations.
NSUI failed to win any of the four central DUSU posts for the first time since 2015.
ABVP won three posts, while former NSUI member Deepanshu Shokeen won vice-president as an independent by more than 13,000 votes.
Rahul Gandhi’s office sought a report on candidate selection, ticket allocation and campaign management from K.C. Venugopal.
The defeat has prompted criticism of Kanhaiya Kumar’s leadership, including allegations that he was insufficiently involved in campus campaigning.
The result contrasted with a large turnout at Rahul Gandhi’s fifth Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Indore, raising questions about converting student outreach into votes.
- Who
- The Congress-linked NSUI, ABVP, independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen, Rahul Gandhi and Kanhaiya Kumar are central to the report.
- What
- NSUI failed to win any post on the four-member DUSU central panel, while ABVP won three posts and Shokeen won one.
- When
- The result came as Rahul Gandhi held the fifth Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Indore; the article does not provide the election date.
- Where
- The elections were held at Delhi University, while the Chhatron Ki Goonj event took place in Indore.
- Why
- The result was attributed in the report to concerns about candidate selection, internal infighting, campaign management and leadership involvement, though some claims were allegations.
Congress Outreach View
Critics’ View
Value of Chhatron Ki Goonj
Congress Outreach View
Congress launched Chhatron Ki Goonj as a nationwide programme to reconnect with students and Gen Z, with multiple editions planned across states.
Critics’ View
Critics argue that large crowds alone may not produce votes or a durable campus organization without people working on the ground.
Cause of the DUSU defeat
Congress Outreach View
The Congress leadership is reviewing candidate selection, ticket allocation, campaign management and election organization to determine what went wrong.
Critics’ View
A former DUSU president alleged that Kanhaiya Kumar was not sufficiently involved on campus, did not consult student leaders and made decisions independently.
Meaning of the result
Congress Outreach View
The Indore event showed that Rahul Gandhi’s student outreach can attract a large gathering.
Critics’ View
The simultaneous DUSU defeat raised questions about whether the programme can convert youth discontent and public participation into electoral support.
- Election body
- Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU)
- NSUI result
- Zero posts on the four-member central panel
- ABVP result
- Three of the four central posts
- Independent winner
- Deepanshu Shokeen won the vice-president’s post
- Winning margin
- Shokeen won by more than 13,000 votes
- Previous NSUI record
- NSUI had won at least one central post in every year since 2015
- Outreach programme
- Chhatron Ki Goonj was launched in June and planned for more than 800 cities