Millennials matter

Aditi Tandon

If the pre-election discourse is anything to go by, all political parties, mainly the ruling BJP and the Congress, are slogging overtime to impress the millennials. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an appeal to the youngsters through a Twitter post to register themselves as voters. “The 2019 elections are special because for the first time those born in the 21st century will be able to cast their vote. I hope all eligible youngsters who have not registered to vote yet will do so and enrich our democracy by voting,” said the PM, following up the message with a series of appeals to stalwarts across sectors to create awareness among voters.

So why do the millennials matter? In the 2019 election, starting on April 11, the 18-to-19 year olds will form a swing constituency, having 15 million voters out of the total electorate of 900 million. No wonder, immediately after the Chief Election Commissioner announced the 17th General Election last Sunday, PM took to Twitter, saying, “The festival of democracy is here… I urge my fellow Indians to enrich the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with their active participation. I hope this election witnesses a historic turnout. I particularly call upon the first-time voters to vote in record numbers.”

Young backed BJP in 2014

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP strode past the majority mark on the back of young voters. A post-election survey by the Centre for Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) had revealed that youngsters exceeded the general category turnout for the first time in India. The young voters overwhelmingly favoured the BJP, which bagged 34 per cent of the votes cast by the 18-to-25 year olds. The Congress bagged only 19 per cent. That explains the mad rush among the political outfits to tempt this restive constituency.  

Modi has often referred to the power of young voters, including in his Independence Day address in 2018. His reaching out to higher secondary students after assuming power in 2014 was significant as those students are now eligible to vote. Recently, on the eve of the commencement of Board exams, the PM addressed the schoolgoers, advising them on the values of stress free learning. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, started a little late in engaging this key segment, launching  a youth outreach plan Apni baat Rahul ke saath only last month. The first event was held in a high end restaurant in Delhi, which was attended by eight youngsters, mostly first-time voters.

What are they thinking?

So what is young India thinking? While the Opposition would like to imagine that the fundamental issues of bread and butter, jobs and freedoms would dominate the young minds, they could be in for a surprise. A cross-section of the first time voters The Tribune approached said national security and India’s befitting response to Pakistan post the Pulwama terror attack was dominating the conversations among the college-going youth and they loved Uri, a Bollywood movie on Indian Army’s surgical strike in 2016 post the Uri terror attack. The Balakot strike by the Indian Air Force post the Pulwama attack was a much-needed “tit for tat”, they said. “Muh tod jawaab diya hai,” UP’s Saurabh Tripathi, a social work student, said of the IAF strikes on the terror camps.

Tripathi said he and his friends were impressed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomatic efforts that forced Pakistan to release the captured IAF pilot in record time. “That was awesome. That goes to show the world is listening to us,” said Tripathi.

Every student approached randomly to comment on the factors influencing their voting preferences sounded highly enthusiastic about India’s response to Pulwama. Divya Tomar, a graduate working as a stenographer, said, “I don’t like the fact that the Opposition is questioning the air strikes. We must show unity in matters of national security, especially when the government has done so well to boost Indian defence and show Pakistan its place.”

Poor job scenario, low farm income, agrarian distress and attacks on fundamental rights, the issues not in favour of the BJP, don’t seem to resonate much with the youth. They could, though, be latent issues. Asked what she thought of unemployment in the organised sector being at an all-time high, Tuheena Arun, a B Com student at Dyal Singh College, said, “Jobs are an issue but I would like to be a job creator rather than a job seeker. I feel the government has done well on the economic front. The recent budget was very good for the middle class.”

Against quota 

Researchers note the youth vote is confounding. For instance, though youngsters should ideally be votaries of freedoms, a 2017 study on youth aspirations by the CSDS and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung revealed that the majority of the youth surveyed favoured ban on films that offended religious sentiments; half of them said beef should not be allowed; another half felt capital punishment was necessary. 

Students do seem to think strongly about the reservation policy though. Kajal Prajapati, a graduate studying accounting, says she belongs to the OBC category but has never taken a quota benefit. “I want to compete in the general category. I don’t want any doles. Caste-based reservations should be abolished,” she says.

Vikrant Sharma, another young voter, adds reservations make sense if based on the economic wellbeing of people. “The recent bill giving 10 per cent quota in jobs and education to poor across general categories is a good step,” he adds.

With hyper nationalism post Pulwama and Balakot being the sole visible common thread binding conversations among the youth, it remains to be seen if the BJP will retain its young support base in the 2019 LS polls. If yes, to what extent. 

Figure this!

• 15 million: Is the number of first-time voters in the 18-19 age group. This group accounts for 1.66 per cent of the total electorate
• 2.1 million: The number of first-time voters in West Bengal for this elections, the maximum in any state. UP has the second-highest first-timers (16.7 lakh), followed by MP (13.6 lakh), Rajasthan (12.8 lakh), Maharashtra (11.9 lakh), Tamil Nadu (8.9 lakh) and Andhra Pradesh (5.3 lakh)
• 900 million: Total number of voters in this elections, an increase of 84 million from the 2014 Lok Sabha elections 

Youth on their mind 

• Indian Youth Congress recently concluded its youth outreach plan under the campaign Yuva Kranti Yatra
• In his first Mann Ki Baat in 2019, PM Modi spoke about the feats of youth and urged them to register as voters. He said, “All of us must realize that being a voter, earning the right to vote is an important rite of passage in one’s life.”
• In January 2019, the BJP launched a special campaign in Mumbai to target the youth. It was called Modi Yuva Shakti
• On the eve of the 70th Republic Day, President Ram Nath Kovind mentioned the millennials, signifying the crucial role they will play in the electoral politics 

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Debutant voters’ take

Priyanka Devi 19  

• Qualification: Matriculate
• State: Himachal Pradesh
• Issues: We need better educational facilities and road connectivity (especially in hilly areas). The lack of faculty and adequate infrastructure is affecting the quality of education. I opine that women must get more representation in politics as they are capable of bringing about an effective change. 
• Why would you vote: I am excited to exercise my right for the first time. I want to use the power of my vote to bring in honest people to power. The political leaders and lawmakers we elect should work on eradicating corruption.

Sahil Kumar 18 

• Qualification: Pursuing B Tech 
• State: Himachal Pradesh
• Issues: Unemployment is the biggest concern. In a hilly state like ours, opportunities are limited and the youth have to move out of the state for jobs. If more jobs and sources of livelihood are created for local youth, the state would prosper. 
• Why would you vote: I would vote to elect a candidate who speaks for youth-centeric issues such as freedom to express on social media and offers viable solutions to tackle joblessness. 

Ajay Pandita 19 

• Qualification: Pursuing B Com
• State: Jammu & Kashmir 
• Issues: Delay in the implementation of a rehabilitation package for 3.5 lakh displaced Pandits and a fast-track recruitment under the PM’s programme. Besides, better infrastructure at camps for displaced families in Jagti, Purkhoo, Nagrota, Muthii and Buta Nagar in Jammu
• Why would you vote: My generation, born and brought up in migrant camps, hopes the new government we elect, both at the Centre and in state, should work for our rehabilitation and youth empowerment. 

Rafia Reshi 21

• Qualification: Political Science (Hons)
• State: Jammu & Kashmir
• Issues: There are issues beyond the Kashmir conflict such as crimes against women. Sadly, everything is covered under the blanket of conflict. Women safety is a priority issue.
• Why would you vote: First, I will not vote. Why should I vote when nobody has done any good to Kashmir in decades? I don’t find any party in Kashmir as credible. Had I been living in any other state, I would have definitely exercised my right to elect our representatives.

Sunny Devi 23

• Qualification: Matriculate
• State: Haryana
• Issues: Better healthcare and educational facilities, especially for women, at the grassroots level and good infrastructure such as roads. Discrimination between women in rural and urban areas must go.
• Why would you vote: I will use my vote to bring in honest people and those who will focus on providing basic and better amenities such as water and round-the-clock power supply.

Pardeep 19

• Qualification: Class XII 
• State: Chandiagarh
• Major issues: There is a huge problem of waste disposal, water shortage, lack of roads. We don’t get quality education in government schools, and most people like me can’t afford education in private schools.
• Will you vote? Yes.

Aparna  19  

• Qualification: Bachelor of Fine Arts- I
• State: Delhi
• Issues: Pakistan-sponsored terror and India’s tough stance on countering terrorism is the prime concern. Besides, unemployment and economic reforms such as demonetisation and GST and crimes against women are the priority issues.
• Why would you vote: Every vote is valuable...I know the importance of elections. When I cast my vote, the women’s safety and fight against terror will be the main deciding factors for me for electing the MP from my region.

Ruqiyya 19

• Qualification: B.Sc-III
• State: Uttar Pradesh
• Issues: As young women, we are concerned about unemployment. More important, many people lost their jobs in the aftermath of demonetisation. Unemployment is at an unprecedented high causing huge hopelessness and frustration among the youth. 
• Why would you vote: The party which will get my vote must have a concrete plan for the safety of Muslims. Lynching must stop. The new government should relook at the proposed triple talaq law.

Nemai Chandra Mandal 21

• Qualification:  Eighth 
• (working as electrician)
• State: Kolkata
• Issues: Though we usually discuss airstrikes and action against Pakistan, local issues are the key. Job creation and job security are important. 
• Why would you vote: I am thrilled at the prospect of voting for the Lok Sabha elections. I will vote for the party which guarantees us, the refugees whose ancestors had come to India from East Pakistan after the 1947 Partition, job security.

Bhupinder Singh 18

• Qualification: Matriculate
• State: Punjab 
• Issues: As a farmer’s son, my primary concern is crop procurement and better returns. Farmer distress is the key issue.
• Why would you vote:  I will vote for the party which provides a mechanism for better procurement and remunerative price for the produce. The political leaders and lawmakers we elect should work on solving woes of the farming community and increasing their income.

Ankit Kumar Shrivastava 19 

• Qualification: Pursuing graduation
• State: Bihar
• Issues: Unemployment, pollution, quality education, corruption, and law and      order.
• Why would you vote: Besides national security, the new government should work on generating jobs, controlling pollution and improving education system.