New Delhi, Sept. 19 -- The Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections went off smoothly on Thursday at a majority of the colleges, with a voter turnout of 39.45% recorded until the evening. Officials of the university said that they did not receive any complaint on defacement or violation of norms. Chief election officer Raj Kishore Sharma said the final turnout will be available only on Friday, but given that the total voter turnout was 35% last year, this year has already seen better participation. Polling was conducted in two phases, from 8.30am to 1pm for day scholars and 3pm to 7.30pm for those taking evening courses. However, two contenders for the posts, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), traded allegations of misconduct against one another. A police officer said that polls went smoothly and no case was registered. "There were minor clashes but nothing major. Deployment was sufficient to ensure law and order was maintained and free and fair elections were conducted," the officer said. In the days leading up to the election, strict guidelines for complaining had been implemented by the DUSU election committee to prevent any defacement, but HT found flyers and hand-written posters of candidates strewn on the pavements and roads of the North Campus on the polling day. According to official data shared by DU, the total number of votes cast this year is over 155,000, which amounted to a 39.45% voter turnout until 5.45pm. Among colleges that clocked improved voter turnout this year was Miranda House, where over 50% of its 5,000 students cast their vote. Miranda House principal Bijayalaxmi Nanda said, "Last year, only 300 students had cast their votes. This year, the voter turnout has been incredible. We had given a holiday on the day of voting last year but this year, we held classes, which might be a reason as well." Meanwhile, Delhi Police said it deployed more than 600 personnel, with 160 of them equipped with body cameras, alongside CCTV surveillance and drones to ensure smooth polling. Many students noted that for the first time in years, the university witnessed a "clean and green election"....