By Kushan Niyogi, Idrees Bukhtiyar, Saurav Gupta
Lok Sabha Polls: Excited about performing their first official duty as adult citizens of the country, first-time voters across Delhi could not wait to cast their ballot with not even the 40° Celsius heat deterring them.
The 2.5 lakh-plus youngsters feel elated at getting their first opportunity to #vote for a government in the hope of improving #education and #jobs sectors#Delhi #ElectionCommission #LoksabhaPolls #phase6votinghttps://t.co/fOGc7XUKYz
— The Patriot (@Patriot_Delhi) May 25, 2024
The desire to exercise their franchise was strong in the hearts of those voting for the first time as they reached the booths early, breaking away from the usual pattern of arriving in the late hours of the morning to cast their vote.
A display of such was seen at the Government Girls Senior Secondary School at New Usmanpur, where Aniket and Dhruv Choudhary woke up early in the morning just to do their duties as citizens.
Dressed in joggers and jerseys, the boys had readied themselves for their weekend derby at the local park. However, the excitement to vote was too much to sit the elections out.
“I cannot really hold my excitement. I have been told time and again before turning 18 that voting is a duty that everyone must perform when they attain the age. It actually feels like I am doing something for the country, no matter how small it may feel,” said Aniket, 18.
Also read: Lok Sabha Elections 2024: PwDs vote in large numbers despite difficulties
His brother Dhruv, on the other hand, highlighted that voting was an incredible opportunity to actually have a say in the making of a government.
“Voting for the first time is a surreal experience. I may not have the experience, but to be able to make or break a government is an empowering feeling,” he said.
However, not everyone was as enthusiastic about the democratic process.
One such voter was found at Karawal Nagar’s Government Girls Senior Secondary School.
Yash Dedha, 21, accompanied by his friend said that it would probably be the last time he is voting.
“I was forced to come here. I got my voter card made this year as well. It is disgustingly hot and I have had to stand in the queue for over 20 minutes now,” he said.
Coming straight out of gym, Sanath Yadav, a first-time voter, cast his vote at the MCD Senior Secondary School at Tughlakabad in the national capital.
Sanath, 18, said, “Today I am feeling very privileged and enthusiastic as I am going to vote to choose my representative for the first time.
“I am voting on the issues of education, health, infrastructure. The education system is the backbone of the country’s growth. So, the government should prioritise working for the betterment of the sector. However, the law-and-order situation should also be focused on by the concerned authorities.”
Also read: Lok Sabha elections 2024: Voting for development, brighter future, say Delhi’s senior citizens
“Additionally, residents of the locality are tired of the long traffic jams. The government should work on improving the infrastructure in the city to address these key problems of the society,” Yadav said.
Accompanied by his mother, Kartikay Katyal exercised his right to vote for the first time at Greater Kailash 1.
Kartikay Katyal, a 20-year-old resident of Greater Kailash-1, said, “The key issues for voting in the general elections are the development of the country and the inadequate infrastructure in Delhi.
“I am very keen on driving. I like to go on long drives on my weekends but the roads in the city are jam-packed, which makes it very difficult for me to go out and travel in the city. My major issue is the inadequate infrastructure in the city. However, the electricity supply has been a problem for the past three days. We hope that the power supply in the locality will be restored back to normal soon,” Katyal added.
Madhu Kumari, a first-time voter in New Delhi, was excited after casting her vote.
“Our main concern is jobs. We want more jobs. The youth is well educated but jobless,” she said after casting her vote at NDMC’s School of Science & Humanities at Nirman Bhawan.
“We want women’s security to also be prioritised as a lot of crimes take place here,” she said.
Ojas, a college-going student who cast his vote at Nigam Utkrisht Vidayala, Moti Nagar, said that there should be no casteism.
“All should get equal rights in every sector,” he said.
He added, “We want more jobs to be created for us so that the educated youth get accommodated.”
Presently, the national capital has gone for polls in all of its seven parliamentary constituencies, with the total first-time voters numbered at 2,52,038.
