Lok Sabha polls 2014: First-time voters want 'change'; propel turnouts to record levels

Shyam Sundar, a retired government officer, has been voting for five decades and, for good measure, for the same party all along. What struck him this time around when he came out to vote in Gurgaon was the sheer number of youngsters in the queue. “People like me could be seen in intervals of 10-12 persons.”

Till Saturday, some 111 constituencies in 25 states had gone to the polls, giving a chance to roughly 17% of the 23.12 million first-time voters — those in the 18-19 years age group — an opportunity to participate in the greatest electoral show on earth. And it’s the influx of this fresh set of voters — with brand new aspirations and attitudes — that helped propel the average turnout so far to record levels of well over 60% (from 54% in strife-torn Muzaffarnagar to 76% in Kerala).

Transparency, banishment of politics of caste and religion, corruption-free governance… it’s easy for older and slightly jaded generations to scoff at such expectations from a demographic that’s still wet-behind-the-ears in most matters the elders reckon they know it all, politics included. But sift out the naivete from those hopes, and what teen spirit at the hustings is crying out for is what every candidate worth his or her affidavit — not only PM aspirants and new parties on the election block — promises during campaigning: change.

Few, of course, deliver. The ruling Congress of course may stand to be the biggest loser in this yearning for a veritable revolution. But that’s exactly what every voter would want. It’s just that the youth want it more. And faster.

Lakshmi Thampi, a 19-year-old who voted on Thursday, summed up the mood of the 4 million-odd who had a chance to make the pilgrimage to the polling booth so far when she told one of ET Magazine’s writers in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala. “I felt very powerful, confident when I voted. I also prayed that the person I voted for brings change.” The first-time voters profiled here echo a similar sentiment.

Geetanjali, works with an IT company

She is a staunch AAP supporter. Geetanjali, who voted for the first time during the assembly elections, supports AAP because it is more in tune with the aspirations of the young generation.




Mohammed, BTech student

“My vote is for the Congress. Kapil Sibal is a good candidate and he visits our constituency quite often. This area [Chandni Chowk] has a connection with the Congress and we also supported other candidates like Haroon Yusuf.”




Bhavya, Delhi University
Bhavya’s mind had been made up on BJP for the past three months. And it’s the party’s silver-tongue PM candidate that did the trick. “It’s just the way he talks,” she explains. Bhavya is convinced that the leadership of Modi is precisely what the nation needs. She has her reasons for striking out her other options too. Dismissing Kejriwal’s tenure in Delhi as a “49-day stint”, she believes he made too many promises that he couldn’t keep. And the story of Congress is to her one of serial scandals.

Devangana, St Stephen’s

“I do believe my vote will make a difference. Each and every one of us who voted will make a difference. Like me, there are roughly 23 million other first-time voters (in the 18-19 years bracket) in India. We’re a set of 23 million new minds, new opinions and new ideas. I voted for AAP because its candidates have the best credentials. Certain candidates of other parties have criminal records and I don’t believe such people deserve to be a part of our government. AAP signifies change, much needed change.

“Ever since I was a kid, I have always wanted to vote. I would accompany my parents each time they voted. I listened intently to the discussions held before and after the elections. However, this was the first time I could actively be a part of it. Not just words and dinner table arguments, but actually I have a chance to be a part of the system. Therefore I can say it was a “finally here” moment. A feeling of being old enough, responsible enough, knowing that I can make a change. Overall, an empowering experience.”