Bagli: First time voters want educational institutes, jobs

Indore: A 20-year old youth, Keshav Upadhyay, spends four hours daily commuting to study law in an institute in Indore from his native place Bagli in Dewas district. He is a first time voter, hoping to get easy access to quality education and employment in his own city, from the new government. Upadhyay is not one or two but among hundreds of first time voters from a small town Bagli ,who have to travel long distances or migrate to big cities for education, and then to earn a livelihood. For most yearning for a government with focus on developing education institutes, employment opportunities and health infrastructure, the face of the local candidate is irrelevant, but the party’s future outlook will be a determining factor. Bagli, a ST reserved assembly constituency in Dewas district, has the highest number of first time voters aged 18-19 – 11,472, while the district has a total of 48,814 first timers. In Madhya Pradesh, more than 22 lakh youths will vote for the first time. Upadhyay, a third year law student, takes a 6:40 am bus from Bagli to reach his college and returns home by 9:30 pm. He said, “I have no choice but to travel every day to Indore from Bagli to get a degree in law. There are no quality higher education institutes in our city. Right to education, employment and health are basic for any country. I will vote for the party that has a futuristic outlook on improving basic infrastructure in my city.” Another first time voter, 18-year-old Diksha Gurjar, has lost many friends from her circle due to migration. “I have seen many friends and seniors migrating to Indore, Bhopal or Delhi for higher education. Even I am planning to move out. I am really excited to vote but very cautiously since I want a government that fulfils promises and gives us better job opportunities,” said Gurjar. These are the voters who have only seen BJP government and would play a crucial role in the assembly polls where BJP has a challenge to overcome anti-incumbency and Congress has to encash on resentment among people and farmers. In the 2023 assembly polls, BJP has given ticket to Murli Bhawara, a former teacher at Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir. He has replaced incumbent MLA Pahad Singh Kannoje. Congress has fielded a new face Gopal Bhosale, a former gunman posted in security of many political leaders. Bagli constituency is a stronghold of BJP with the saffron party holding the seat from 1962 to 2023 barring the 1998-2003 period when Congress candidate Shayam Holani had won against former chief minister of MP and BJP candidate Kailash Joshi.