In politics, just like in every public dealing, perception matters a lot. This is where ABVP turned out to be a fast learner. And that’s precisely also the reason why CYSS failed to board the U-special it launched just ahead of the election despite its own survey giving itself 45% vote share and the stuntman himself lending his face to this circus of campus politics. NSUI once again lost the plot completely.

How I see the poll — it is a mandate against AAP than in favour of ABVP. The winners would have won anyways, but in come CYSS and gifted them a bigger margin and probably a seat more.

First the winners — ABVP: It simply refused to get drawn into any kind of rivalry on the streets with CYSS knowing well they cannot rival AAP in this strategy of naming and shaming in public just to be in news and play the victim card every time.

“O ji, ye sab log corrupt aur ek jaisa hain. NSUI, ABVP sab mile hue hain ji,” rhetorics failed to provoke ABVP. It didn’t react to any allegations of its rivals, especially of CYSS as if it doesn’t exist.

Most importantly ABVP managed a low profile in terms of its campaign expenses. That definitely made the rivals look obnoxious, specially when one of them is claiming to be the superman of honest politics.

After two top candidates of AAP were issued notices over attendance issue ABVP did planned to put up a complaint against them so as to divert their focus from campaigning. However, the right-wing group rightly decided against it at the last moment as it would consume their time as well.

David turned Goliath: Every time one takes a turn in the North and South Campuses and else where in the City, there is Arvind Kejriwal calling out for honest politics and support for CYSS. Never did he realised that all that students had in mind was how much AAP had spent in these thousands of hoardings?

And it was not just a concert but the coffin of CYSS and the final nails were the CM and Deputy CM’s presence there. It only helped #ABVPRocks, which btw was trending on Saturday on social media.

It got too busy with the validity of the certificates of an ABVP’s candidate. Worse still, it also played part in circulating a fake certificate in the name of the candidate on WhatsApp.

The campaigners of honest politics indulged in violence, their leaders including MLAs were found campaigning in classrooms, questioned by police for violation of code of conduct, had equal number of printed posters and more number of hoardings. And yet continued with the drama of launching the manifesto virtually on the road in Timarpur.

With exposure to media and information the literate DU students also saw through AAP’s survey leaked to the media and WhatsApp campaign claiming that CYSS was leading on all four seats even before the polling ended on Friday.

Perception of Kejriwal played its part and we all know the story.

The losers: They have learnt the trade of losing. And when you play second fiddle you are bound to be second.

Infighting on top, infighting in between and infighting in public is what NSUI was all about in these elections. Had they sorted this instead of rampaging their national president’s office things could have been different, at least in the post of secretary.

Negative campaigning and engaging with CYSS was their undoing which even the money they spent couldn’t compensate. After seven years of dominance (2002-2009) and a come back in 2012, more seasoned politics was expected of them.

On the contrary, NSUI actually lost its patience and started reacting to CYSS’ call for a street fight. Mimicking AAP, it tried to engage with ABVP in similar dramebazi, which has become a typical AAP style of politics.

Note: AAP and CYSS has been used interchangeably because that how election has been approached.