Re-Elections Fail to Meet Quorum, Leaving AUSG 26–27 Without President and GenSec

At 6:00 pm on 20th May, 2026, the Ashoka University Election Commission (AUEC) declared the results of the 2026-27 Ashoka University Student Government (AUSG) re-elections. In an email to students, the commission announced that the required quorum of 40% had not been met for any of the seats being re-contested, including the positions of President and General Secretary, four seats on the Fourth Year Council, and one seat on the Third Year Council.“None of the elections conducted as part of this cycle stand validly constituted under the Election Code,” read the email. 

The AUEC email thanked all candidates, collectives, and voters for participating in the election process. It concluded by saying that the commission would “communicate the next procedural steps in accordance with the Election Code after consultation with the relevant university authorities in the coming few days.” 

Ayush Solapurkar (UG ‘27), Horizon’s presidential candidate suggested that since the presidential vote turnout in the last round reached almost 39%, a platform “which identifies and then collates unique votes from both elections” could be made; and for voters who voted both times (not withstanding whether they have voted for different people both times), only their second vote could be considered. Solapurkar also added that since the quorum has been increased from 35% to 40% for the first time, an alternative could be considered.

After both election rounds, only the Second Year Council has been elected in its entirety, with all 4 seats filled. The Third Year Council has 3 elected members with 1 seat vacant, which was declared NOTA in the last election round. All seats on the Fourth Year Council remain vacant.

The implications of having such a severely handicapped AUSG in the coming year concerned multiple candidates. “The summer is known to be a flashpoint for administration overreach and if during this time we don't have ministries and student reps, then we will all return to a constrained campus for workers and students alike,” GenSec candidate Kriti Chhibber wrote in a message to the student body. “The incoming cohort will also not be able to have a stable campus.” 

AUEC Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Anurav Singh (UG’29), speaking about the commission’s role in the election process, said that the AUEC does not “ play much of a role in stimulating voting turnout.” He also reiterated that they had been “proactive” in providing updates and reminders, and encouraging students to vote throughout the election period. In terms of what this means for the coming academic session, Singh said, “I think it's important that Ashoka has a strong student government, but if the electorate feels differently and chooses to not vote, it's imperative that Ashokan students are faced with the consequences of their political apathy.”