Students Federation of India (SFI) leader Dilshada Raihan has been elected President of the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) Student Union in the 2026 elections. Contesting as the joint candidate of the AISA, ASA, DSU, TSF, and SFI alliance, she defeated Naresh Podishetti of the ABVP–Sevalal Vidyarthi Dal (SLVD) alliance. Her victory marks a significant outcome in one of Telangana’s most closely watched student union elections.

The result is particularly noteworthy because the ABVP alliance had swept all six major student union posts in the 2025 HCU elections. Last year, the alliance secured the positions of President, Vice President, General Secretary, Joint Secretary, Sports Secretary, and Cultural Secretary. This year’s victory for the opposition alliance in the presidential race signals a major shift in the university’s student political landscape.

Hyderabad Central University is known for its vibrant student politics, with several student organizations actively participating in campus elections every year. Dilshada Raihan’s win is being seen as a major success for the SFI-led alliance, while it represents a setback for the ABVP alliance. The election outcome is expected to influence student representation and campus politics in the coming academic year.