DUSU Election Results: Who is Deepanshu Shokeen? Independent candidate wins Vice-President post

Deepanshu Shokeen won DUSU Vice-President 2026 as an Independent with 13,527 votes. From Peeragarhi, son of bus conductor and anganwadi worker, Buddhist Studies student who left NSUI after ticket denial.

Updated : Sep 19, 2026, 04:56 PM IST

Deepanshu Shokeen has emerged as the new Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) vice-president after contesting the 2026 election as an independent candidate. Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen is leading the Vice-President contest with 13,527 votes.

His victory stands out because the DUSU central panel is traditionally dominated by candidates backed by major student organisations. Shokeen contested against Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's (ABVP) Ishu Maurya, National Students' Union of India's (NSUI) Vir Chatrath, AISA-SFI's Akshat Shikhar and independent candidate Aranya Singh Rathore.

For Shokeen, however, the road to the DUSU vice-president post began with a very different plan.

A student of the Department of Buddhist Studies at the University of Delhi, Shokeen previously completed his graduation from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College. His journey in student politics gained momentum during his college years and eventually took him to the DUSU central panel.

Shokeen comes from Peeragarhi village in Delhi. His father is a bus conductor, while his mother works as an anganwadi worker. His family wanted him to prepare for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination, but Shokeen chose student politics instead.

His campaign also focused on student concerns, including safety and accommodation. His activism following the Satya Niketan tragedy further increased his visibility among students. With his victory, Deepanshu Shokeen has moved from being an independent student leader to holding one of the four key posts in the DUSU central panel.

Deepanshu Shokeen had initially sought a National Students' Union of India ticket for the DUSU election. His nomination was filed, but he was later asked to withdraw it. Shokeen refused to step aside and instead decided to fight the election independently. That decision turned him from an organisation-backed aspirant into one of the most visible independent candidates in the DUSU contest.

His campaign gained momentum on campus, with his name becoming increasingly prominent during the election campaign.

Deepanshu Shokeen's student activism also became more visible after the Satya Niketan tragedy. Following the incident, he decided to stop wearing shoes until students received justice. The protest became part of his public image as he became more active on student issues.

Student safety, accommodation and campus infrastructure were among the major issues surrounding this year's DUSU campaign.

Deepanshu Shokeen's DUSU Vice-President victory gives him a position at the centre of Delhi University's student politics without the backing of a major student organisation. His journey from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College to Buddhist Studies, from seeking an NSUI ticket to contesting independently, and finally winning the Vice-President post has made Deepanshu Shokeen one of the defining faces of DUSU 2026.