First-time voters prioritise employment, better infra

The Tribune Special

First-time voters made their presence felt by exercising their right to franchise for the highly anticipated Delhi Assembly elections on Wednesday. Eager for a better future for the Capital, the young voters voiced their hopes for improved employment opportunities and city’s development.

The Tribune spoke to several first-time voters across the city.

At a polling booth in Laxmi Nagar, Akshat shared his priorities. He said: “I voted for cleanliness, better education and more jobs for youth.”

Expressing similar sentiments, Aryan, another first-time voter, said: “I voted for betterment — better roads, better traffic and cleanliness. I don’t want freebies, but better facilities.”

Tammana, who recently turned 20, said she didn’t think too much about the elections. She said: “I’m excited about the results. I want to know whether the one I voted for will win or not.”

Nineteen year old Srijita said: “I exercised my franchise for the first time. So, I voted for the person who I think would be better. I was excited and the entire process was smooth and easy.”

Voicing his desire for a change, Shyam, another first-time voter, said: “I voted for better facilities. In the last 10 years, the present government did not do much for the people. They promised free water. When you open the tap, you get muddy water. As a young person, I don’t want freebies. I want clean water, better roads, safety for women and functional street lights. A large number of areas and main roads don’t have working streetlights.”

Saloni, who was accompanied by her mother and brother, said: “My excitement level was high. Last year, I was sick and couldn’t enjoy the voting process. This time, the enthusiasm is high. I’m really excited to see who will come next. It’s hard to predict right now which party will win since all of them have worked hard to woo the voters.”

Divyansh, another Delhiite, focused on unemployment. He said: “I’m mainly targeting unemployment. As a youth, my main focus is for the government to tackle the unemployment rate in the Capital and generate more opportunities. Everyone is talking about freebies, but it’s more important to focus on youth empowerment.”