Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) candidate Yash Dabas has been elected president of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) for 2026-27. ABVP also secured the secretary and joint secretary posts, with Riya Chhawdi and Lakshya Raj Singh winning the two positions. Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen emerged victorious in the vice-president contest.
Dabas defeated National Students’ Union of India () candidate Vijay Shankar Meena in the presidential election, securing 24,576 votes against Meena’s 22,523. The results were announced on Saturday after 20 rounds of counting.
But who is Yash Dabas, the student leader who will now head ? Here is a look at his academic background, sporting career and campaign priorities.
Dabas hails from Kanjhawala in northwest Delhi. He completed his graduation from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College and is currently pursuing studies in the Department of Buddhist Studies at Delhi University.
Apart from student politics, Dabas has a background in competitive tennis. Profiles released during the election campaign said he has participated in International Tennis Federation tournaments in countries including Spain, Australia and Serbia.
He has also represented the University of Delhi in university-level sporting events, including the All India and Khelo India University Games.
During his campaign, Dabas focused on issues concerning student safety and accommodation. His proposals included installing more CCTV cameras and safety booths around colleges and women’s hostels.
He also spoke about the need for affordable accommodation for students, making housing a key part of his campaign agenda.
After his victory, Dabas attributed the result to broader themes of unity and patriotism.
“This victory belongs to social harmony, patriotism and unity,” said Dabas, according to PTI.
He also highlighted the concerns of students and referred to the hardships he experienced while campaigning.
“My priority will be to fight for students’ rights and demand justice for those who lost their lives in the incident. The hardships I faced while campaigning on foot reminded me of the difficulties faced by nearly 1.5 lakh students of Delhi University, and I will work to address their concerns and fight for their rights,” he said.
Dabas was part of an ABVP panel that won three of the four key DUSU posts.
Riya Chhawdi won the secretary’s post with 21,650 votes, defeating NSUI’s Namrata Chaudhary, who secured 14,869 votes.
Lakshya Raj Singh was elected joint secretary after securing 16,615 votes. He finished ahead of SCS candidate Vishesh Yadav, who polled 15,778 votes, and NSUI’s Gopal Choudhary, who received 15,206 votes.
Chhawdi is a fourth-year BA Programme student at Sri Aurobindo College and comes from Modband village in Badarpur, Delhi. She belongs to a farming family and has represented her college in inter-college basketball.
Singh, who is from Rajasthan’s Churu district, graduated in Political Science from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College and is pursuing law at the Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi. He also has a sporting background and has represented India in handball at the Asian Games and World Championship.
