A political party which never canvasses votes based on caste and community, and rather focuses on public welfare must win the upcoming Assembly elections, say a majority of first-time voters.
With the announcement of the polling date for the upcoming Assembly elections, many first-time voters are gearing up to exercise their franchise. The first time voters who spoke to The Hindu have varied expectations from the leaders and the political parties.
R. Nandha Kumar, a first-year student of Government Law College, Madurai, says education and health are important areas that the government must focus on. “Parties that try to attract voters based on caste and community, don’t focus on the welfare of the public. They only try to perpetuate the caste hierarchy prevailing in the society,” he says.
Many first-time voters feel that a good political leader must constantly interact with the public to understand their grievances and try to address them. “Political leaders release many advertisements through various platforms, but direct interaction with the people is very important,” says K. Brinda, a first-time voter.
S. Atchaya, a first-time voter of Madurai Medical College, says the government must be corruption-free and honest.
The political campaigns on digital platforms, especially on social media platforms, play an important role in influencing the young voters, says S. Srinidhi of Lady Doak College (LDC). “Many students take their decisions based on the way the political parties project themselves on digital platforms,” she adds.
A good government must focus on the welfare of farmers, says R. Pichaimuthu, 19, from Kambur village. C. Kishore of American College expects a good leader to work for the development of Madurai. “Compared to other major cities, Madurai lags behind industrial development. Many graduates have to travel to other places to get jobs,” he adds.
Women’s safety
For Esha Jain, a first-year student of Lady Doak College, safety of girls and women is one of the main areas that the government must focus on. She also highlights that roads are in a pathetic condition in Madurai. “Addressing the civic issues of the people is a basic duty of any government,” she adds.
