UP polls: Young voters to decide fate of veterans

LUCKNOW: Allahabad’s seat of Handia has UP’s highest percentage of young voters but not a sinle candidate is aged below 50. Almost 5% are first-time votrs between 18 and 19 years .

It has highest number of voters in the 20-9 and 30-39 years age group as well. Combined , they form the outh vote block.

In Handia , 1.94 lakh of the toal 2.75 lakh voters are young . But not a single party nominee is below 50 years . The oldest, Congress andidate Ramendra Tripathi , is 66. SP’s M N Singh and BSP’s R M Yadav are 57 and 51 years old.

Allahabad enrolled over 22% new voters in the voter awareness xercise . “Young minds aren’t affected by factors of caste or reliion . Such a high number can lay a significant role ,” said AK ingh of Giri Institute of Develpment Studies .