“The polling process took just two minutes and was over before I knew it,” said K. Karuna, a resident of Jothiamma Nagar in Saidapet who cast his vote for the first time on Monday.
The visibly-excited 19-year-old, who is pursuing a diploma course in civil engineering, said he had seen many parties campaign in his area and voted for the one which he thought would bring about a change. “Our area needs good roads, bathrooms and playgrounds which we hope will be the focus,” he said. His friend Ajith Kumar, who comes from the same area, echoed these views and said that basic amenities had to be provided.
Many first-time voters who trooped into polling booths across the State had a mix of excitement and trepidation as to what would be the outcome of exercising their franchise. According to Tamil Nadu SVEEP 16 Action Plan data, the number of voters in the 18-19 age group in the State is 8.64 lakh. Mahalakshmi Shankar, a 22-year-old content writer from Kotturpuram, said she ensured that she made an informed decision by going through the manifestos and tracking down the campaigns of various political parties on social media. “With an effective awareness campaign this year about the importance of voting, many of us wanted to exercise our franchise the right way by being aware of our options,” she said.
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The memories of the December floods remain fresh in the minds of young voters. Chandini Akkineni, a 21-year-old student, said that the new government would have to help the city recover fully from the effects of the floods.
Many youngsters also did not shy away from the NOTA option. “I did not find any of the parties or their promises appealing but wanted to vote. So, I chose NOTA,” said 22-year-old Ramya Mahesh.