Woo voters via community radio, website

NEW DELHI: Students contesting DUSU elections can make use of the community radio to reach out to voters this year. The university will also host a webpage for candidates to share their manifestos. And this time candidates will be allowed to use only handmade posters for campaigning.
The candidates - whose names are likely to be declared on September 1 - will get a fixed time and slot on DU's community radio to air their agenda.The time and slot will be allotted to them through a draw of lots. Their views to be shared through radio and the text to be uploaded on the web page
have to be pre-approved by university officials before going on air. Candidates are required to submit their manifestos or the campaigning text to the university by August 28.
Their election can be nullified if rules are not adhered to.
The poll budget has been restricted to Rs 5,000. DU had cracked down on the high expenditure by candidates two years ago by putting a cap on the budget. This included a curb on printed posters and pamphlets. Use of loudspeakers, vehicles and animals has also been prohibited. University officials said electoral malpractices like throwing parties for voters, providing them with conveyance to reach polling stations or 'bribing' them in kind or cash will be dealt with harshly. "These elections are for students. So a budget of Rs 5,000 per candidate is enough," said a DU official.
He said the webpage was available last year too, but hardly anyone made use of it. "Many candidates, especially the ones backed by political parties, don't seem interested in writing down their views and vision. Some material submitted by few candidates was rejected as it was either provocative or showed other candidates in bad light," said the official.
Nominated candidates can withdraw their names by September 1 and the final list will be put up later that day. Voting will take place from 8.30am to 12.30pm at morning colleges and from 4pm to 8pm at evening colleges.