First Time Voters Want Jobs And Women’s Safety

New Delhi: About 13 crore new voters across the country will exercise their franchise in the upcoming general elections. Its a big number, with the potential of swinging the mandate either way.

So what is agitating the younger lots; issues and worries in the run up to the voting day. To gauge the mood, ‘YouGov India’ and ‘Firstpost’ conducted a nationwide survey between 3 and 9 January covering people aged between 18-21. The results could be an eye-opener  for the political parties as they canvass for votes.

1. The survey said that 55 per cent of the first time voters would exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha polls, while 14 per cent said they have not registered yet.

2.When asked whose views influence votes, a majority said they would prefer independent views. Among the younger ones, party ideologies mattered the most followed by the PM candidate.

3. To a question on what issues matter most to them, women safety topped the list of cocern, followed by job opportunities and end to corruption.

4. Job opportunities topped the list of demand from the new government and it was followed by better education and then women’s safety.

• Job opportunities 72%
• Better education facilities 71%
• Women’s safety 70%
• End corruption 68%
• Clean and fair governance 67%
• End religious violence 61%
• Rural development 59%
• Freedom of expression 55%
• Stop unrealistic promises 53%
• Freedom of sexual identity 50%

5. Significantly, 13 per cent stated that no parties/leaders are credible or worthy enough to vote for. Further, 14 per cent were of the view that elections are not free and fair.

6. About seven per cent of the respondents sought an end of religious violence and four per cent wanted a stop by the political parties from making unrealistic promises.