HCU elections: SFI’s Dilshada elected student president

Hyderabad: Students Federation of India leader Dilshada Raihan has been elected as the president of the Hyderabad Central University’s student union after the 2026 elections.

Dilshada contested as the presidential candidate of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Ambedkar Students’ Association (ASA), Dalit Students’ Union (DSU), Tribal Students’ Forum (TSF) and SFI alliance.

She defeated Naresh Podishetti of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)-Sevalal Vidyarthi Dal (SLVD) alliance.

The others key posts were also secured by the alliance, with SFI’s Korra Nithin Chauhan winning the vice president post, ASA’s Pratik securing the general secretary post and and AISA’s Sidhant securing the joint secretary post.

ABVP’ Banoth Sai secured the post of sports secretary.

Results for the post of cultural secretary, however, have been put on hold after the SFI alliance won by five votes, sources told Siasat.com. ABVP has called for recounting of votes which the SFI alliance has strongly rejected.

This comes as a huge victory after the ABVP swept all six key posts last year.

Shiva Palepu was elected as president, Devendra as vice president, Shruti Priya as general secretary, Saurabh Shukla as joint secretary, Jwala as sports secretary, and Venus as cultural secretary.

ABVP’s 2025 victory was remarkable as the last time the union had such an impact was in the 2018-19 elections. ABVP, in alliance with Other Backward Classes Federation (OBCF) and Sevalal Vidyarthi Dal (SLVD) alliance had secured all six of the posts.