Shimla, Quality education, job opportunities and women safety are the top priorities of first-time voters in Himachal Pradesh. Some of them also see the election as a choice between "the dictatorship of the BJP" and "the unstable coalition represented by the Indian faction".
According to data shared by the Election Commission, there are more than 1.7 lakh voters in the age group of 18 to 19 years across the state who will be voting for the first time. Elections for four Lok Sabha seats and six assembly by-elections will be held simultaneously on June 1.
Riya, who voted for the first time from Solan, says that the policies of successive governments to please voters by giving free gifts should be stopped."The tax-paying middle class bears the burden of freebies and the money is invested in development projects," he said.
Nitish, another first-time voter, said, "I am in a dilemma to choose between dictatorship and coalition," apparently referring to the Narendra Modi-led government at the Center and the Indian bloc respectively.
"It's all about making my voice heard and advocating for positive change in the political landscape," she said.
The Congress-led India (Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance) bloc comprises 26 parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Trinamool Congress.
Rohit, a first-year student who will be exercising his franchise for the first time, said, “The BJP government has become arrogant, constitutional institutions are being misused and voting for Modi would mean supporting a dictatorial government.On the other hand, the faction in favor of India will favor a coalition and an unstable government, which is again not good for the country.
There is a mixed reaction among first-time voters on the performance of the BJP-led central government in the last ten years, with some praising the tenure of the previous government, while others criticized its functioning.
Anshul Thakur, a student of journalism course at Government Post Graduate College, Sanjauli, said she was excited to cast her first vote.
Thakur said she would vote for a party that is committed to bringing better employment opportunities in the government and private sectors and improving women's safety.Prakshit, a student of Government Post Graduation College, Chaura Maidan, says he is hoping to become an entrepreneur and is keen to explore new age innovative areas.
He said that he will vote for the party which is inclined towards new technologies and promotes start-up culture while focusing on the youth.
“As a first-time voter, I would like the government to work on UCC (Unifor Civil Code) and education policies and focus on states and places that the government has otherwise ignored such as the North-Eastern region of the country or Ladakh Include more culture-based services,” said Vashishtha Sharma, another student of P College, Sanjauli.
There are also some first-time voters who said they would use the NOTA (None of the Above) option to express their dissatisfaction with the candidates fielded by political parties.Mandi resident Aditi Thakur, who is going to vote for the first time, said that she will opt for NOTA in the Lok Sabha elections as she feels that no candidate has lived up to her expectations.
According to data shared by the Election Commission, there are more than 1.7 lakh voters in the age group of 18 to 19 years across the state who will be voting for the first time. Elections for four Lok Sabha seats and six assembly by-elections will be held simultaneously on June 1.
Riya, who voted for the first time from Solan, says that the policies of successive governments to please voters by giving free gifts should be stopped."The tax-paying middle class bears the burden of freebies and the money is invested in development projects," he said.
Nitish, another first-time voter, said, "I am in a dilemma to choose between dictatorship and coalition," apparently referring to the Narendra Modi-led government at the Center and the Indian bloc respectively.
"It's all about making my voice heard and advocating for positive change in the political landscape," she said.
The Congress-led India (Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance) bloc comprises 26 parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Trinamool Congress.
Rohit, a first-year student who will be exercising his franchise for the first time, said, “The BJP government has become arrogant, constitutional institutions are being misused and voting for Modi would mean supporting a dictatorial government.On the other hand, the faction in favor of India will favor a coalition and an unstable government, which is again not good for the country.
There is a mixed reaction among first-time voters on the performance of the BJP-led central government in the last ten years, with some praising the tenure of the previous government, while others criticized its functioning.
Anshul Thakur, a student of journalism course at Government Post Graduate College, Sanjauli, said she was excited to cast her first vote.
Thakur said she would vote for a party that is committed to bringing better employment opportunities in the government and private sectors and improving women's safety.Prakshit, a student of Government Post Graduation College, Chaura Maidan, says he is hoping to become an entrepreneur and is keen to explore new age innovative areas.
He said that he will vote for the party which is inclined towards new technologies and promotes start-up culture while focusing on the youth.
“As a first-time voter, I would like the government to work on UCC (Unifor Civil Code) and education policies and focus on states and places that the government has otherwise ignored such as the North-Eastern region of the country or Ladakh Include more culture-based services,” said Vashishtha Sharma, another student of P College, Sanjauli.
There are also some first-time voters who said they would use the NOTA (None of the Above) option to express their dissatisfaction with the candidates fielded by political parties.Mandi resident Aditi Thakur, who is going to vote for the first time, said that she will opt for NOTA in the Lok Sabha elections as she feels that no candidate has lived up to her expectations.
