Excited to vote, youngsters reach polling stations even before 7AM
Jammu: The first-time voters of the Jammu parliamentary segment, which has registered over 71 per cent turnout on Friday, saw brimming with excitement and optimism for a better future.
From city to rural belts, the first-time voters are among the most excited lot, who have been in the queues outside the polling stations since morning to cast their ballots.
Accompanied by elders of the family or friends, the first voters curiously inquired about the formalities from the officials and then followed the process of voting.
According to official figures out of 86.9 lakh electorate, a total of 3.4 lakh are first-time voters in Jammu and Kashmir.
Interacting with Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Shruti Arora, who exercised her franchise for the first time at Gandhi Nagar, said that she has voted today to elect the representative, who can work on real issues like high inflation, unemployment, infrastructure development and environmental conservation instead of distracting voters with emotional slogans.
Among the first-time voters is Marcus, who said, “I am very excited from the day BLO delivered my voting slip at home. I am among the first few voters, who arrived even before 7.00 am to cast my vote.”
“My first vote is for a representative, who stands by the youth. We suffered a lot due to paper leak scams and growing unemployment. We missed our representative on such occasions but this time, we hoped that the representative we choose, stand by us and raise such issues at appropriate platforms.”
Mana Khokher, another first-time voter said the vote is a chance to shape the future of youth. “The pressing issues are unemployment, lack of infrastructure, and the ever-present specter of violence. I hope my vote could contribute to the resolution of these issues,” she said.
Ridhima Jain from Kacchi Chowani, said, “I would be experiencing something new, but I also had a responsibility to choose the best candidate. Everyone in the society should cast vote as it’s the time to express.”
Karan, a young voter from Samba said, “During election season, leaders entice voters with false promises, but they seldom pay attention to voter complaints after the election. I want to support the candidate, who is approachable and sympathetic to our situation”.
Tania Raina, a passionate advocate for environmental conservation, preparing to vote for the first time says she has seen firsthand the devastating effects of climate change on the region and was determined to elect leaders, who would prioritize sustainability and conservation efforts. (KNO)
