The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) won three of the four key positions in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, with BJP leaders using the results to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

The results announced on Saturday saw ABVP candidates win the president, secretary and joint secretary positions. Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen won the vice-president’s post.

The outcome left the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) without any of the four central panel positions. NSUI had won the vice-president’s post in the previous year’s election.

ABVP wins three key posts

ABVP’s Yash Dabas defeated Congress-backed NSUI candidate Vijay Shankar Meena in the presidential contest.

Dabas secured 24,576 votes, while Meena received 22,523 votes, giving the ABVP candidate a winning margin of 2,053 votes.

ABVP’s Riya Chhawdi won the secretary’s post with 21,650 votes, against 14,869 votes secured by the NSUI candidate.

For joint secretary, ABVP’s Lakshya Raj Singh received 16,615 votes. Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha candidate Vishesh Yadav polled 15,778 votes, while NSUI’s Gopal Chaudhary finished third with 15,206 votes.

Independent candidate wins vice-president post

The vice-president’s contest produced a different result.

Deepanshu Shokeen, a former NSUI member who contested as an independent after not receiving the organisation’s ticket, won the position.

His victory meant that ABVP took three central panel posts, while the remaining position went to an independent candidate.

BJP leaders target Rahul Gandhi

The DUSU results also triggered political reactions from BJP leaders, who linked the outcome to Rahul Gandhi’s recent youth outreach programme, “Chhatron Ki Goonj”.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda said, “I didn’t hear the goonj (echo) but definitely heard the dhamaka (explosion),” in an apparent reference to Gandhi’s campaign.

Other BJP leaders also criticised the Congress following the results. The report said BJP leaders described the DUSU outcome as an indicator of student sentiment towards the Congress.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated ABVP workers, while Education Minister Pralhad Joshi said the organisation had secured the president, secretary and joint secretary posts.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also congratulated the winning ABVP candidates, including Yash Dabas, Riya Chhawdi and Lakshya Raj Singh. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta similarly congratulated the winners.

Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested in West Bengal in connection with an old murder case, hours after Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would support his candidature in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

The arrest came on Friday, September 18, after Mamata Banerjee announced at a press conference at her Kalighat residence that her faction would back the Congress candidate in Nandigram.

Why was Milan Pradhan arrested?

According to the available report, Milan Pradhan was arrested in connection with an old alleged murder case. The report does not provide further details about the case, including the alleged incident, the sections invoked or the circumstances of the arrest.

The arrest therefore comes at a significant point in the Nandigram bypoll, with Pradhan having emerged as the Congress candidate after a series of political developments in the constituency.

Why did Mamata Banerjee support the Congress candidate?

Mamata Banerjee announced support for the Congress candidate after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who had been fielded by her faction, withdrew from the Nandigram contest.

According to the report, Pradhan Dey withdrew her candidature after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Mamata subsequently announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

The development placed Milan Pradhan at the centre of the latest political developments surrounding the Nandigram election.

Nandigram bypoll scheduled for October 6

The Nandigram Assembly bypoll is scheduled for October 6. The constituency has drawn attention ahead of the election following changes involving candidates and the political support announced by Mamata Banerjee’s faction.

With Milan Pradhan’s arrest now reported, the Congress candidate’s legal case is likely to become another important development in the run-up to the bypoll.

Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate fielded by Mamata Banerjee’s faction of the Trinamool Congress for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll, has withdrawn from the contest.

The development came a day after the Election Commission announced that the rival Trinamool factions would not be allowed to use the party’s existing name and symbol for the upcoming bypolls. The poll panel later allotted new names and symbols to the two factions.

Dey had been announced as the Mamata faction’s Nandigram candidate on Sunday. She is a teacher in Nandigram who had lost her job following the cancellation of the appointments of 26,000 teachers in connection with an alleged recruitment scam.

Sanchita Pradhan Dey met Suvendu Adhikari

According to sources, Dey met West Bengal Chief Minister and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday. A photograph of the meeting also emerged.

Her withdrawal was announced on Friday afternoon as Mamata Banerjee was addressing a press conference over the Election Commission’s decision concerning the Trinamool factions.

With Dey no longer in the contest, Banerjee announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the Nandigram bypoll.

Banerjee said the decision had been taken within her party and that she had spoken with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while noting that the Congress had not been informed about the decision at that point.

New names and symbols for Trinamool factions

The Election Commission has allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol to the faction led by Mamata Banerjee.

The rival faction led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol.

The Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls are scheduled for October 6, with counting set for October 9.