In Pictures
Asma Hamad Shaikh, 23, a teacher and first-time voter, poses for a photograph in Dharavi, Mumbai. ‘I believe that everyone should be educated, illiteracy should be wiped out completely. I hope with a change of government the caste system can be abolished,’ she said. ‘I see a lot of fights between Hindus and Muslims, I didn’t see this division growing up. It’s only in the last few years that it is become a lot.’ [Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters]Published On 18 Apr 202418 Apr 2024
For 20-year-old Roushan Kumar, who sells flowers for a living in India’s eastern state of West Bengal, more jobs and better education are priorities. And the first-time voter wants to pick a government that will provide just that.
India’s election, starting on Friday, is the world’s largest electoral exercise with more than 18 million people voting for the first time.
While polls project Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to win a third term, new voters like Kumar are determined to make their voices count.
“I will vote for a party that works for development in education. I will vote for a party that will provide employment – so that there are jobs,” Kumar, a Modi supporter, told Reuters news agency.
Kumar’s priorities match many of those his age. Religious tensions, inflation and a lack of jobs were the top concerns emerging from Modi’s decade-long rule, according to a survey of 1,290 first-time voters in New Delhi by pollsters CSDS-Lokniti.
Nearly two-thirds of those polled said they would vote for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) given the government’s strong record of economic growth, amid a sense of pride over the construction of a grand Hindu temple.
Despite being the world’s fastest growing major economy, India has scrambled to generate enough work for its people. Its youth make for most of the nation’s unemployed workforce, according to a report by the International Labour Organization and Institute for Human Development.
Akansha Majumdar, a 20-year-old engineering student in West Bengal, said the government needs to eradicate illiteracy and provide job security.
To tap into such disenchantment, India’s main opposition Congress has promised paid apprenticeships. Modi’s party manifesto also focuses on creating jobs.
Beyond jobs and rising costs, communal harmony is another priority for many young voters.
New Delhi-based laptop repairer Mohammad Aijaz Ansari, 19, said fighting in the “name of religion” is everywhere and should not happen. He will vote for the Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Person’s Party, a Congress ally.
In reports released last year, the US State Department raised concerns over the treatment of Muslims and other religious minorities in India. Modi denies discriminating against minorities.
Katravath Santosh, 21, an autorickshaw driver and first-time voter in Hyderabad. ‘Life was better in the earlier government’s term, our livelihood has been impacted. I have studied until 10th standard only, I had to drop out to support my family financially,’ said Katravath. ‘After moving to the city, we are drowning in loans, we were confident we would somehow survive, but we are so sceptical of our futures now.’ [Almaas Masood/Reuters]Dhriti Jain, 21, a student and first-time voter in New Delhi. ‘I think one major hope for India would be being more socially progressive, which covers a more holistic approach towards economy and societal problems,’ said Dhriti. ‘As a Gen Z, I want my country to be global but not copy the West; transcending towards a more solid global position, writing our own path.’ [Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters]Sanskar Rai, 21, an intern at a digital media platform and first-time voter in Gurugram on the outskirts of New Delhi. ‘We talk about secularism on one hand, and we simultaneously see things happening and people being murdered in the name of religion, it’s very disheartening to see this,’ said Sanskar. [Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters]Poonam, 22, a housewife and first-time voter, inside her house in New Delhi. ‘I am happy that I will be voting for the time but not excited as such. I am a housewife and live here on Yamuna floodplain, I am not very up to date with the current situation,’ said Poonam. ‘I will follow my family … I can’t go against my family if they are voting for a particular party or person, I will vote for the same.’ [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]Abbaas Kashmiri, 23, a student and first-time voter, rows a boat in Dal Lake in Srinagar. ‘India is getting richer, but the gap between rich and poor is getting bigger. I don’t like how public services are being privatised for profit,’ said Abbaas. ‘I want a government that helps everyone, not just the rich, and treats everyone fairly. When I vote, I want to make India more fair and inclusive, especially for those who need it most.’ [Sharafat Ali/Reuters]Saneja Wangjan, 20, a student and first-timer voter in Imphal, Manipur. ‘Medical facilities need to improve, especially in smaller underdeveloped cities of India,’ said Saneja. ‘Many people are dying from common diseases because they have no access to proper medication or hospitals.’ [Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters]Saima Tabbasum, 22, a student and first-time voter in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. ‘I’ll vote for PDP to protect Muslims’ rights, I don’t think things are normal, especially when the government stops prayers or arrests leaders,’ said Saima. ‘I want the ruling party to explain why they do these things and prove they care about Kashmiri freedom.’ [Sharafat Ali/Reuters]Akansha Majumdar, 20, a student and first-time voter inside Jadavpur University campus in Kolkata. ‘I hope that basic education is provided for all. There are more slums in the cities than there are in villages, and children as old as seven or eight years of age are forced to leave schools and their education to find jobs to feed themselves and their families,’ said Akansha. ‘Our government needs to help provide basic education to all, no one should be illiterate for life.’ [Sahiba Chawdhary/Reuters]Mohammad Ajaz Ansari, 19, a laptop repairer and first-time voter in New Delhi. ‘There are so many unemployed people. Many people in my locality keep asking for work, but they don’t get any. They work for private firms for a meagre amount of 10,000 -12,000 rupees per month [$119–143], which is not enough for a household to survive.’ [Priyanshu Singh/Reuters]Omprakash Aggarwal, 18, a skater and first-time voter in New Delhi. ‘I think we should give a vote to Modi Ji, he has done a lot of things and brought many new schemes,’ said Omprakash. ‘Before, we didn’t have any value in foreign countries, but now everyone treats us respectfully.’ [Priyanshu Singh/Reuters]
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