The smaller students’ organisations aiming to make a mark in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections are rubbing their hands with glee. A day after the university’s chief election officer disqualified five candidates from big guns NSUI and ABVP for violation of election code, these fringe players in Delhi University student politics now feel they are in with a real chance.

Among those disqualified are Deepak Negi and Rohit Chahal — presidential candidates for NSUI and ABVP, respectively.

NSUI, the Congress’s student wing, may be in for further trouble as Rahul Mathur, its joint-secretary candidate, was served a showcause notice on Saturday morning.

He has time till Monday evening to reply.

All candidates disqualified were earlier issued showcause notices for violating the Supreme Court ruling by using printed posters, vehicles and organising rallies during poll campaign in the varsity.

The disqualifications have made the likes of Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Association (AISA), Ambedkar Students’ Organisation of India (ASOI), Indian National Students’ Organisation (INSO) and Disha Student Organisation look at the September 4 elections with hopes of breaking the NSUI-ABVP monopoly in DUSU.

“This is a golden chance for us and, yes, we have to cover more colleges now,” SFI’s presidential candidate Mahaveer Singh Udar said. “We are redrawing our strategy in view of the changed scenario.”

AISA general secretary Ravi Rai said: “We are fighting for a win now. But, at the same time, we are aware how difficult the task is, for we have to generate much more handmade material in compliance with the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations.”

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