DUSU Elections 2026: ABVP Fields 3 Sportspersons, Meet Yash Dabas, Riya Chhabri and Lakshyaraj Singh

The ABVP has fielded three sportspersons among its four candidates for the 2026 Delhi University Students’ Union elections, bringing international and inter-college sporting experience into this year’s campus contest. The election is being held amid growing discussions around youth issues, artificial intelligence, student welfare and wider political questions.

The ABVP panel comprises Yash Dabas for President, Ishu Maurya for Vice President, Riya Chhabri for Secretary and Lakshyaraj Singh for Joint Secretary.

Dabas, the presidential candidate, is from Kanjhawala and graduated from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College. He is currently pursuing studies at the Department of Buddhist Studies. An international-level tennis player, he has represented India in ITF competitions in Spain, Australia and Serbia and was selected for the Khelo India and All India University Games in 2023.

Chhabri, the candidate for Secretary, is an alumna of Sri Aurobindo College and comes from Mordband village in Badarpur. Currently pursuing the fourth year of a BA Programme, she has represented her college in basketball competitions. She is among six women contesting the four DUSU posts this year.

Singh, contesting for Joint Secretary, hails from Rajasthan’s Churu district. After graduating in Political Science from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, he began studying law at the Campus Law Centre. He has represented India in handball at the Asian Games and World Championships and has also represented Rajasthan at the National Games and Delhi University at University Games.

The fourth ABVP candidate, Ishu Maurya, comes from a student-politics background. A Varanasi resident and Satyawati College alumnus, he has been associated with ABVP since 2021 and previously served as college president and Students for Seva co-convener. He is currently pursuing law at the Campus Law Centre.

This year’s DUSU contest is also being shaped by debates over hostel availability, women’s safety, student concerns and emerging issues such as AI. The collapse of a PG building on September 6, which reportedly killed at least seven DU students, has added another layer to discussions around student safety and accommodation.

The final election list has 20 candidates for the four posts, including six women. Eight candidates are from the Department of Buddhist Studies and four are from the Campus Law Centre. With three sportspersons on its four-member panel, the ABVP has brought a distinctive mix of international sport, academics and student politics into the DUSU race.