By IANS,
New Delhi : Shrugging their ‘me-no-care’ attitude, Delhi’s first time voters were an excited lot Thursday as they made it to the nearest polling booths to cast their vote.
Diksha Chawla, 18, a student and a first time voter, said: “This is the first time I am casting my vote and I am really excited about it. It somehow makes me feel very empowered.”
Flaunting her inked index finger, Chawla told IANS: “It is immaterial whether the party I voted for wins or any other party wins. What is important is that whoever comes to power should do something for the country.”
Similarly, Rajiv Sharma, a first year college student, said that he could not wait to cast his ballot.
“I was really looking forward to casting my vote for the first time. Instead of cribbing all the time, I feel that each one of us should do our bit to change things and casting our vote is the first step towards that,” Sharma, who studies in the Shri Ram College of Commerce here, told IANS.
Wearing a bandana and pair of shades as a shield against the heat, Sharma said: “Taking out two hours from your schedule is no big deal. If not to vote, I would have spent the same two hours either watching TV or talking on the phone. The fact that my exams are on is also not a deterrent.”
About 11.09 million people — nearly four million of them in the age group of 18-29 — are eligible to vote at 11,348 polling booths in the capital Thursday.
The fact that numerous TV, radio and newspaper campaigns — by the election commission, NGOs and other youth organisations — were doing the rounds was also a ‘pep-up’ factor for many.
“The first time I saw the Jaagore ad on TV, I could immediately relate to it. Probably I would have bunked voting and opted for a movie in a multiplex too – it’s so easy to say I-don’t-care when it comes to doing your duty and complain later,” said Akshay Jain, another first time voter.
“For me and many of my friends, these ads have been a big pep up factor. I also liked the Vote India campaign,” he added.
Richa Verma, a BPO employee, similarly said: “The advertisements and campaigns did the trick for me. I am glad I went to cast my vote for the first time. It has made me feel responsible unlike others who just sit at home, refuse to vote and then complain about poor infrastructure.”
“Also the fact that I had my work shift from 1 p.m. today helped. I am not sure if I would have been in a state to vote had I been on the graveyard shift (night shift),” she added.