The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has recently won a spectacular victory in the students’ union elections of two major universities in India. Seven years later, ABVP has won the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) and in the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) for the second consecutive time. This victory not only reflects the growing influence of ABVP in student politics, but also indicates that the youth of the country, especially Jane-Z (Generation Z), nationalist ideology and government policies are maintained.
Importance of ABVP victory at DUSU and Hyderabad University
In the DUSU elections, 39.45% of the 2.75 lakh eligible voters voted. In the counting of votes, ABVP won three major positions of Chairman, Secretary and Joint Secretary. On the post of president, Aryan Mann defeated NSUI’s Joslin Nandita Chaudhary by a huge margin of 16,196 votes. This victory is also historic for ABVP because NSUI won the post of president in 2024 after seven years.
Similarly, at Hyderabad Central University, ABVP also demonstrated its strength by gaining full control of all six posts. This win breaks the dominance of Left (SFI, AISA), Dalit organizations (BSF) and NSUI. HCU polled more than 81% of the polling, which reflects the political participation of students.
Behind the victory
1. Nationalism and policies of Modi government: ABVP created the slogan of ‘Rashtra I’, the center of its election campaign, which is becoming popular among Jane-Z. The policies of the Modi government on issues like Ram temple construction and Article 370 have connected the youth to nationalism. BJP President JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have described this victory as a symbol of youth nationalism.
2. Effective use of ground issues and social media: ABVP focused on students’ everyday issues such as metro pass exemption, fees hike and campus security. In addition, the organization used social media platforms such as Instagram reels and X, so that they could reach Gen-Z easily. Trends like ‘Jane-Z Modi with Modi’ played an important role in making the atmosphere in their favor.
3. Weak opposition campaign: On the other hand, NSUI’s election campaign was weak and the court rejected his ‘institutional intervention’ allegations. Rahul Gandhi’s nectar of ‘Jane-Z revolution’ could not leave the expected effect. In Hyderabad, the ABVP conveyed the message of peace and unity on sensitive issues such as the Rohit Vemula case and the land dispute, which proved to be more impressive than the divisive native of the left and other organizations.
Is Jane-Z’s trust in the Modi government intact?
About 20% of India’s total population is of Gen-Z, which is a large and influential voter class. ABVP’s victory in major educational institutions like DUSU and HCU indicates that this younger generation continues to trust the Modi government. According to a study by Pew Research Center, 53% of Gen-Z supports BJP, which value nationalism and cultural identity.
Schemes like Startup India, Skill India and Digital India launched by the Modi government are providing employment and technical opportunities to Jen-Z, giving priority to economic stability and digital progress. All these factors together show that the younger generation of universities is supporting a strong nationalist and development-centered approach rather than traditional student politics.