HYDERABAD: With the polling date for state assembly elections on December 7, the political atmosphere in the state is reaching a crescendo. And today being the final day for campaigning, politicians of various parties are wrapping up their weeks-long blitzkrieg.Over the last few days, we have seen the likes of Narendra Modi, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana’s caretaker CM K Chandrasekar Rao and other bigwigs canvass for votes in the state.
The manifestos of these parties address all sections of voters – farmers, unemployed youth, students, senior citizens, etc. Regardless of all the exhortations, in the end, it is the voter who decides which party to vote for on the big day. Hyderabad Express spoke to a few of the ‘first-time voters’ about their views on political parties, fulfilled (or) broken promises, their expectations, etc.
Interestingly, many of the youngsters feel politics is not their cup of tea, at least for now. The reason – money, muscle power, corruption, dynasty rule, vote-bank politics, etc. are a regular feature of almost all the political parties we have in the country, they say.They opine that the role of money in politics must be done away with, alongside caste-based rhetoric and vote-bank politics.
At a career guidance event held in Secunderabad by K2 Learning institute recently, students debated on politics as a career option. Not surprisingly, all of them voiced their concerns about the current political system in the country.
“The perception of politics is so bad that nobody views it as a serious career choice. This image needs to be changed,” quipped Anil, a student. Echoing his views, Rishika, another student, said, “More number of women and professionals must get into politics. But currently, owing to the existing state of affairs, many of us are hesitant to enter the profession.”
Given that the future of a nation rests on its youth, hopefully, we shall get to see a more mature, transparent and service-oriented political system in the states and country in the coming decades. What say?
— Shyam Yadagiri
shyam@newindianexpress.com
@shyamyadagiri