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Shokeen pledged not to wear shoes until justice was delivered to those affected by the September 6 Satya Niketan building collapse, which killed seven people.

Shokeen built his student politics journey around campus issues and an independent campaign after falling out with the NSUI. (Image: X/@DeepanshuS_001)
Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen has won the vice-president’s post in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) election 2026, defeating ABVP’s Ishu Maurya and NSUI’s Vir Chatrath by a significant margin.
Shokeen built his student politics journey around campus issues and an independent campaign after falling out with the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).
Who Is Deepanshu Shokeen?
A native of Peeragarhi village in west Delhi, Shokeen comes from a family with a modest background. His father, Rakesh Shokeen, is a Delhi Transport Corporation bus conductor, while his mother works as an Anganwadi teacher.
Shokeen is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies after graduating from Bhagat Singh College. He said his own experiences as a Delhi University student over the past four years prompted him to enter student politics, PTI reported.
In this year’s DUSU election, Shokeen secured 30,615 votes to win the vice-president’s post, defeating ABVP’s Ishu Maurya by 13,705 votes.
Deepanshu Shokeen’s Pledge
One of the defining features of his campaign was his decision to remain barefoot. Shokeen pledged not to wear shoes until justice was delivered to those affected by the September 6 Satya Niketan building collapse, which killed seven people, including five DU students.
His election campaign also followed a dispute with NSUI over ticket allocation. Party officials said Shokeen was initially nominated but was subsequently asked to withdraw. His father said the family learned he had been denied the ticket on September 11.
“We got to know that he was snubbed over the NSUI ticket on September 11. That is when he decided to fight independently,” his father Rakesh Shokeen told PTI.
Explaining his campaign, Shokeen said, “Whether it is the issue of hostel facility, university infrastructure or policies, I have faced all of them myself. This election was fought on all these student-centric issues,” he told PTI.
“Fighting the election was not my only motive; I was representing all the students and their issues. I am here to raise their voice,” he said.
After his victory, Shokeen posted on X, “This victory isn’t mine. It belongs to every student who wants to raise real issues on campus. Fighting independently wasn’t easy, but you’ve proven that students’ trust rises above student organisations,” his post read.
Quick Answers
Independent candidate Deepanshu Shokeen won the vice-president post in the 2026 Delhi University Students’ Union election, securing 30,615 votes and defeating ABVP’s Ishu Maurya and NSUI’s Vir Chatrath.
About the Author
Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com’s general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manish…Read More
September 19, 2026, 7:06 PM IST
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