CUTTACK/BHUBANESWAR: The Twin City saw overwhelming response from first-time voters who exercised their constitutional right with zeal during the third phase of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state on Saturday.
For the debutantes, it was not just a responsibility to ensure development of the country but also a matter of great pride. Despite it being a long weekend with Saturday declared a holiday, a large number of youngsters who enrolled in the electoral roll this time, turned up at the booths to vote.
At some of the model booths in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, they were greeted with roses while at the others, they were accorded traditional welcome. And many captured the memory of getting their index fingers inked for the first time at selfie points set up at the booths. Beyond being a part of the biggest celebration of democracy, the new voters were unanimous in their demand for better education and governance.
At model booth 69 in Ravenshaw Collegiate School in Cuttack, 18-year-old Vijay Lakshmi Das of Nimchouri turned up with her cousins to vote. Sharing her enthusiasm, Vijay Lakshmi said she considers voting to be an important step in shaping the future of the state and country. She browsed through every party’s manifesto and track records of the candidates in fray before locking her choice on the EVM.
“Our state has a lot of scope for development, be it education or employment. Cuttack faces numerous challenges, from drainage to infrastructure. I hope, my vote like that of many others makes a difference in ensuring overall sustainable development of the state and infrastructure improvement of the city,” she said. Abhinanda Acharya, a resident of Mahanadi Vihar, also cast her vote for the first time with hope for better education and employment opportunities in the state.
Another first-timer Shreyas Jena voted at a booth in Patia of Bhubaneswar for the cause of education and poverty. Glad about voting, Shreyas wants the government that comes to power to focus on improving both school and higher education. “Also, the government should ensure schemes meant for the poor reach the poor,” said the student of a private university.
Like him, cousins Preeti Bisoi and Soumik Sahu - both students - were happy that they got the opportunity to vote for candidates of their choice. “We voted for a party with hope that it would improve the infrastructure of the state. Besides, we expect all the leaders who come to power to deliver on their promises,” they said. Soumik, a student of Christ College at Bengaluru, travelled to Bhubaneswar just to cast his franchise.
Young voters, political analysts said, are one of the deciding factors in the twin elections this time. As per reports of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the percentage of first time voters (18-19 years) in the state has gone up from 1.72 per cent in 2019 to 2.3 per cent in 2024. The number of first-time voters in the current electoral roll is around 8 lakh of the total 3.35 crore voters. There are 45,757 first-time voters in Cuttack and Khurda has 38,463 voters in the 18-19 age group.