Denying to hold fresh student’s union elections, Delhi University(DU) on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that it cannot hold fresh elections for Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) president post saying the period is already over. The post fell vacant after Ankiv Baisoya’s admission was cancelled on November 14 over his fake degree.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, appearing for DU, told the High Court judge Yogesh Khanna that under the ‘Lyngdoh Committee guidelines’, fresh elections can only be held if a post falls vacant within two months of the declaration of results.
The ASG said the office of DUSU president fell vacant on November 14.
As the poll results were declared on September 13, the said period got over on November 13 itself.
She said however, that the university “is open to DU to declare the DUSU vice president as the president”.
Need for fresh polls
Senior advocate P. Chidambaram who was appearing for NSUI leader Sunny Chillar, urged the court to order fresh election for the vacant post.
Mr. Chidambaram claimed that since the degree is found to be fake, the nomination itself becomes void and the candidate ineligible.
Hence, the two-month period for conducting fresh election will not apply in this scenario.
Mr. Chidambaram said that DU should have properly checked Mr. Baisoya’s certificates at the time of admission and while accepting his nomination.
“They should have carried out the verification sooner,” he said and added that the issue of fake degree was brought to the varsity’s notice much earlier.
DU ‘dragged’ the process
Accusing DU of dragging the process, Mr. Chidambaram said, “Even if I don’t attribute motive, I will attribute lethargy and tardiness”.
“He [Baisoya] should never have been nominated”, he said.
During the hearing, Ms. Anand said that once the two-month has expired, elections cannot be held and “it is open to DU to declare the DUSU vice-president as the president”.
The Additional Solicitor General said that action was taken against Mr. Baisoya on November 14 after receiving a letter from the Thiruvalluvar University confirming that his bachelors’ degree was fake.
National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) leader Chillar had lost to Mr. Baisoya in the race for the post of DUSU president.