AMUSU Election 2026: Alumni Appeal to Keep Sherwani, Hall Visits and Campaign Silence Alive

By the AMU Alumni Group

An AMU alumni group has written to students ahead of the AMU Students’ Union (AMUSU) election on 5 November, asking candidates to keep the union’s old traditions alive and to campaign with respect. The appeal, dated 25 October 2026 and issued in English and Urdu, lists the customs that marked AMUSU polls before the eight-year gap, and sets out a seven-point code of conduct for candidates and their supporters.

Why alumni have written now

AMUSU polls are returning after nearly eight years, so most students on campus today have never seen a union election. The group says this is understandable: “how can students be expected to know and follow practices they have never had the opportunity to experience?” It calls it the responsibility of senior Aligarians and alumni to guide them.

Also readAMU Physicist Dr Mohd Adnan Gets Rs 14.36 Lakh CSTUP Grant for Solar Cell Research; Dr Mayuresh Kumar at BRICS Parliamentary Forum

The AMUSU traditions the appeal wants to keep

• The sherwani: candidates wear the traditional sherwani while campaigning, and the customs around it should be respected.
• Formal declaration: each candidate formally declares their candidature.
• Hall visits: candidates go from one hall of residence to another to seek support.
• Final speeches: candidates address voters before polling. For AMUSU 2026, speeches are on 3 November.
• Silence after speeches: once the final speeches are over, campaigning stops.

“The traditions of AMUSU elections are not merely rituals,” the appeal says. “They reflect the dignity, discipline, brotherhood, and distinctive culture of AMU.”

Seven-point code of conduct

1. Respect every individual. No personal insults, abusive language, intimidation or humiliation.
2. Keep the dignity of the sherwani and AMU traditions.
3. Campaign peacefully. Seek support through dialogue and ideas, without disturbing classes or fellow students.
4. Respect fellow candidates. Criticise ideas, policies and performance, not a rival’s character or family background.
5. Follow the rules and timings of campaigning. Stop electioneering when the campaign period ends.
6. Accept the result gracefully. Victory should bring humility, defeat should bring reflection.
7. Protect campus peace and academic life.

The group also asks students to follow the official election rules issued by the university and the Chief Election Officer.

A word for the students who protested

The appeal praises students for the recent agitation that won back union elections, saying it showed they can organise and press their demands through peaceful protest. It now asks them to bring the same discipline to the vote. “The ability to organise a peaceful protest is commendable,” it says, “the ability to conduct a peaceful election, respect opponents, and accept the outcome is an equally important test of leadership.”

It ends with a reminder: “Students may contest against one another during elections, but they remain members of the same AMU family.”

AMUSU 2026: what is next

• 3 November: candidates’ speeches
• 5 November: polling at the faculties, with counting from 6 pm

Ten candidates are contesting for President. See every name in the AMUSU 2026 final candidate list, back your choice in our reader poll, and read about past unions in the list of AMUSU presidents since 1884.

Frequently asked questions