With the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections just days away, the Congress student wing, NSUI, is grappling with a deepening internal crisis that could jeopardize its electoral chances. A sharp conflict between senior leaders has fractured the organization into two distinct power centres, sparking fears of a repeat of recent defeats.

The discord came to the fore during a key meeting between NSUI AICC in-charge Kanhiya Kumar and the current NSUI president Varun Chaudhry, underscoring the widening gulf within the party.

According to insiders, tensions escalated after NSUI’s disappointing performance in the Panjab University Students’ Union (PUSU) elections. Controversial ticket allocations, particularly Kanhiya Kumar’s decision to overrule the local unit’s choice, were cited as the primary cause.

“Both the local unit and our national president, Varun Chaudhry, supported Sumit Kumar as the presidential candidate, but Kanhiya Kumar imposed Prabhjot Singh instead,” an NSUI functionary said.

The gamble backfired. ABVP candidate Gaurav Veer Sohal won the presidential post with 3,148 votes, while Prabhjot Singh lagged with only 1,359 votes. Sumit Kumar, running independently, secured 2,660 votes.

The internal feud has now reached the highest levels of Congress leadership. Varun Chaudhry reportedly escalated the matter to Rahul Gandhi, amid accusations that Kanhiya Kumar is shifting NSUI towards a more leftist ideology by inducting members from left-leaning organisations.

“Two clear power centres have emerged. If a worker aligns with one side, they risk antagonising the other. This infighting could critically damage our DUSU campaign,” warned a senior NSUI leader.

In response, Congress heavyweights, including KC Venugopal, Kanhiya Kumar, and Varun Chaudhry, convened high-level talks to mediate between the factions. Reports indicate that Kumar was urged to halt the new presidential selection process to prevent further fallout.

The urgency to resolve these conflicts is heightened by the looming DUSU elections. Last year, NSUI’s Raunak Khatri broke a seven-year presidential drought, but with internal divisions threatening party cohesion, senior leaders fear a repeat of the Punjab University outcome.

As the countdown to the polls continues, NSUI faces a critical test: whether it can bridge internal divides in time to secure a strong showing at Delhi University.