Today’s youth are not showing much interest in politics, especially the first-time voters. They know the names of leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, but they are not aware of the government schemes. With the polls coming up in just 48 days, they have not even thought about whom to vote for.
Hans India conducted interviews with these young voters in different parts of the city and found that while they spend a lot of time on social media, politics is not something they are interested in. They are not even aware of the promises made by their local MLA, and some don’t even know who their MLA is. This contradicts what leaders say about children knowing what the government has done.
There were a few who said they were confused and didn’t know whom to vote for because they believed that no one does anything for the good of the people. For example, Ruchit, a second year student, expressed his frustration with the lack of action on issues like city transport and bad roads in his area. Anushka Sarkar, another first-time voter, mentioned the lack of improvement in road conditions and the minimal interaction with voters by candidates.
Upender, a 22-year-old voter, wants a leader who can deliver on their promises rather than just having colorful manifestos. He is considering voting NOTA (None of the Above) as it allows him to express his dissatisfaction with the candidates. Anil, a third-year degree student from Osmania University, feels disillusioned with the lack of leaders who genuinely work towards creating employment opportunities.
Overall, it is clear that many young voters are disengaged from politics and unsure about whom to vote for due to a lack of confidence in the effectiveness of political leaders.
