Millennials are ignorant about candidates

A large number of millennials who would be voting for the first time in the state elections on May 12 barely know the candidates in the fray.

They seem to rely on their parents’ choice or a candidate’s popularity in making a choice, while some of them are voting for a particular candidate since he or she is “not as bad as the others”.

All of the millennials are eager to see a change in the society, but they believe their candidate may not usher change.

Arun Ashok (18) thinks candidates care only about themselves once they are voted to power. “I don’t know the candidates in the fray in my constituency and I’m not planning to vote since it is not going to make any difference,” he said.

Ashok will be one of the 15.42 lakh first-timers among the 4.9 crore voters in these elections. Though that number is nearly doubled from the 7.18 lakh first-timers in 2013, a large number of millennials are believed to have stayed away from voter registration.

Exams vs elections

Gaana Reddy (19) objects to the greater priority given to elections over education. “Exams for colleges falling under the Bangalore University are postponed due to the elections. This is distressing for the students,” she said.

Gaana said party activists fire away crackers and play high-decibel music in the Mahadevapura constituency, and this causes chaos in the area. “Campaigners help enroll those who have recently moved into the city on the condition that they vote for their party,” she said.

Jhanvi P, who resides in Yeshwantpur, said that almost all candidates count on a particular caste or religion as their vote bank. “No one cares about the middle class. Candidates only target those below the poverty line for votes,” she said.

Politicians promise the sky before the election, but forget the voters after they win, griped Amudhasurabhi A, a resident of BTM Layout. “I don’t feel safe in my locality after 7 pm since the streetlights don’t work,” Amudhasurabhi said.

Aditya Shetty (19), a voter from the Bommanahalli constituency, lists out a series of issues affecting his area such as water scarcity, frequent power outage, caste-based favouritism in educational institutions, poor drainage system and stray dog menace. “Party leaders don’t address any of these issues,” he said.