Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Around 62 thousand first-time voters and more than 50 per cent of the total voters who are millennials are geared up to mark their attendance at the polling booths in the city. But with barely any contest in the offing, as Congress candidate Akshay Kanti Bam pulled out of the race at the last minute, it'll be interesting to see what the youngsters feel about the elections.
The young voters were excited to share their views on the political situation and were outspoken when asked about the ongoing uproar. A common point that was repeated by almost everyone was the incompetence of the opposition and the lack of competition in a multi-party democracy. Let's hear their opinions straight from them.
First-time voter 18-year-old Aaditya says, “With the minimum knowledge I have about the present scenario, what happened with Congress is sort of unfair. At the same time it doesn't affect my judgement or my decision in the slightest”.
An anonymous first-time voter said, “First it happened in Surat and then in Indore, when the news came to light it didn't surprise me in the least. Expected it to happen sooner or later.”
In a conversation with Vidhi, a law graduate, a more nuanced perspective surfaced regarding the credibility of the Opposition and its attempt to sway the voters to vote for NOTA. She believes that the incompetence of the Opposition might affect the confidence of youth in the idea of free and fair elections because in a way the outcome is already decided. If a person doesn't agree with the principles of the ruling party, and at the same time doesn't have any other option to vote for, the question that will inevitably arise is why even vote? Even on the media’s part, there's a strong emphasis on the two main parties. This special focus ends up sidelining other parties if there are any. Irrespective of the situation, the ideal option for voters to get their point across is to conduct extensive research that aligns with their expectations and then go vote. But do vote!!
Harshita Bargal, a first-time voter and a journalism graduate, voiced her disappointment with the lack of opposition, “Youth is actively hoping and looking for a leader who could represent their interests like education but sadly there's no one to count on. Additionally, NOTA was introduced as an option to express disapproval but with the current progression, it has become a choice between voting for parties or voting for NOTA, which I believe is a sign of weakening democracy. I believe that voters, especially youth should do their due diligence and vote without missing out. If you do your part, then only you have the option or the right to ask questions or voice your criticisms.”
As Harshita and Vidhi said, it's quite alarming that we are facing a severe lack of any opposition, but that's not a free pass to not vote. Something is better than nothing and in this case, voting is that something!
(With inputs from Lavina Joshi)
