As the counting progresses for the 2025 Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, the competition is intense, with NSUI aiming to retain its position, and ABVP hoping to make a comeback. The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), backed by Congress, faces off against the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The full form of ABVP is Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, a student organization founded in 1949.
Aryan Maan, an ABVP candidate, is currently leading the race for the DUSU president post. He comes from a prominent business family. The 23-year-old is from Bahadurgarh, Haryana. He secured admission to Delhi University through the sports quota by representing football at the national level. Maan completed his B.Com from Hansraj College in 2025. His father is the Executive Director of ADS Group, and the family owns the Royal Green liquor brand.
This article will review ABVP’s history in campus politics and how it has maintained its grip on DUSU over the years.
The ABVP, founded in 1949, was the initiative of RSS activist Balraj Madhok. In the wake of Independence, ABVP was formed on college and university campuses across the country. A national forum of these activities was formalized and registered on July 9, 1949, as the ABVP. The motto of this student organization was to reconstruct India into a powerful, prosperous, and proud nation, organizing multi-dimensional and diverse activities.
In 1971, ABVP stated students are not the citizens of tomorrow, but of today. By 1974, ABVP had 160,000 members across 790 campuses and controlled several major universities. By 1983, its membership had grown to 250,000 with 1,100 branches. The organization expanded further in the 1990s. The DUSU, established in 1949, is the world’s largest student body. The first DUSU elections were held in 1954. Several notable figures have had their political careers shaped by DUSU.
The DUSU has four office bearers: President, Vice President, Secretary and Joint–Secretary. Elections to the union are held by direct voting. As of 2019, there are a total of 52 Delhi University colleges and faculties affiliated to DUSU.
ABVP has generally maintained a stronghold over DUSU since 1954. During the 1970s–80s, it was the main student organization. NSUI emerged and won the DUSU elections for the first time in 1985. The battle has mainly been between NSUI and ABVP. ABVP returned to power in 1996. NSUI then dominated until 2008, when ABVP returned. While an independent candidate won in 2009, ABVP returned to power in 2010. NSUI held power from 2011-2013. ABVP claimed the DUSU president post for five years until 2017. NSUI won in 2017, followed by ABVP winning in 2018 and continuing until 2024. Currently, Ronak Khatri of NSUI is DUSU President. ABVP has 17 wins so far, while NSUI has 12 victories.