The mother of all democratic shows has kickstarted. The round-the-clock tamasha, chaos and disturbances make election an interesting event, if one doesn’t mind the cacophony.

There’s a lot happening in the camps of various political parties but what does election mean to the common man? Mention election and the right to exercise one's vote immediately comes to everyone’s mind. There are those who have been casting their vote because they are faithful to the system. There are are others who think  they can make a difference to the outcome by their vote.  Then there are also the cynics who think that the system can’t be changed and they just take a day off on the D-day.

Most young voters that Metrolife spoke to made it clear that politics does not interest them. But these youngsters — a large number of them belonging to BPOs, IT and call centres — said they will vote to hasten development and weed out the corrupt.

Mention elections and 24-year-old Nouman Kalladathu, a call centre employee, immediately thinks of former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy. “He's the first man I think of. That's probably because he is one among the few politicians who has got so much publicity,” he says. 

Shuja Rahaman, who works for a BPO in the City, says he'd vote to bring in peace and stability. He has absolute faith in democracy. Elections are never a smooth affair in India. He thinks that it is a time when goons, thugs and the leaders-to-be join hands to usher in change. Sheeja John, another techie is not keen on voting and exercising her basic right.  Pointing out that that votes are manipulated and bought and that leaders are out to eat into whatever little money is available with the people, she reasons: "Tell me, why should I vote?" During elections I would rather relax at home with my family than go out and vote," says Sheeja.

Most young voters are sceptical about who they should vote for. Governments have changed and new faces have come and gone but the state of the City and the State remains the same.  T J Jagdish, Manager-Human Resources with Aegis BPO Services Ltd says come elections, the same set of promises, rallies and manifestoes do their rounds to woo people. Jagdish is another who's devoted to the system rather than the people who stand for elections.

There are grouses against the system. But the young are clear that they won't leave the only opportunity that comes their way in changing it.

So you could say, it is an aye to elections from the youth.

One must vote

Democracy means empowerment of citizens. The purpose is to provide a push for those who need it and bring the marginalised out of the loop and into the playing field. One should vote if one wants to be part of the society and be a force for positive change.
Chetan Kumar, actor

Voting in our country is non-negotiable. One must vote. This is the only way to bring about a positive change
in our society. One should not feel despondent with what has happened in the past. Change will come and it
will be good for all. I believe that it will happen sooner than most people think.
Sandeep Kumar Maini, Chairman, Maini Group

The young must vote because only they can bring about a change and elect a younger,
educated and development oriented government. 
Roshan Issac, model and actor

Elections evoke different images. There’s more confusion and chaos during elections. One has a hard time differentiating between genuine and fake leaders. Every vote makes a difference so people must vote.
Pooja Gandhi, actress