Employment and safety on wish list of first-time voters

Patna: Contrary to the popular belief that state youths are disengaged from politics and voting, the first-time voters exercised their franchise enthusiastically here on Saturday. Employment, education, infrastructure development, good governance and safety are the issues on their minds and accordingly they have voted in favour of parties of their choice. Brimming with pride, Kritika and her best friend Garima Singh, both 21 years old, cast their votes for the first time at a polling booth near Gandhi Maidan. “We came early in the morning, to avoid afternoon heat. With my freshly inked finger, I took a selfie with my friend and posted my picture on social media, asking others to cast their votes,” Kritika said.Maria Khan (25), a resident of Raja Bazar, hopes to elect an MP, who will not only ensure a good education system and creation of jobs, but also focus on women’s safety. “I read the manifestos of all major parties and after that I decided whom to vote for. My vote goes to the government which has progressive views,” she said.Ankit Sahay (23) also shared similar views about selecting a leader, who can focus on all-round development of the nation. “I would like to see a leader who works for all sections of the society,” he said.Shashikant (19) got the lesson of exercising the franchise from his parents, as he has been accompanying them since the age of eight. On Saturday, for the first time he cast his vote. “Since my childhood, I saw my parents and other people coming in large numbers to cast their votes. But this election is different as I myself exercised the franchise and got my finger inked,” he said.According to Tejaswini Goit (22), her experience as a first-time voter was empowering and enlightening. “Casting vote is a democratic right, and I felt proud to have participated in shaping the future of my community and country,” said the young voter, adding that she chose the party that would address issues like unemployment, poverty and the quality of education.Sarthak Pal (18), a first-time voter, exercised his franchise at St Mary’s Academy booth. He was quite enthusiastic and said that he expected the new government to address key issues like unemployment, poverty alleviation and education reform.At the AG Colony community hall, Ayushi Priya (26), a fashion designer by profession, cast her vote for the second time and said that whichever government comes, it should create employment opportunities for the youths of Bihar. “Bihar should get more attention from the Centre and also the special package,” she said.