Visibly excited on getting inked for the first time, Aditi Mishra, 21, a fresh graduate said she is hoping that the next government will provide more jobs.

“I have completed my engineering in electronics from the Indraprastha University this year and I am preparing for a government job now. There are very few opportunities in the government sector for general category students. I am hoping that the next government will create more options for people like me,” she said.

Better education facilities, more job opportunities and women safety topped the wish list of most first-time voters who voted in the Lok Sabha elections Sunday.

Around 11.2 lakh youngsters, aged between 18 and 23 years, were registered as voters by the state election office ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Of them, 2.5 lakh were first-time voters.

Suman, 19, a resident of Bhatti village in South Delhi, said she expected the next government to take concrete steps to ensure woman safety.

“We live in the Ridge area. The streets in my locality are deserted even during the day and evenings are more unsafe as there are not enough streetlights. Woman security is our major concern. I am voting for a safe nation for women,” she said.

Another first-time voter, Mohammad Saad, 21, a Delhi University student, said it was a good feeling to be a part of the electoral exercise and his main wish is the enrolment of all in educational institutions and jobs.

“There are many students who don’t get admission in colleges for having a low score. I am voting with the hope that Delhi gets more colleges and universities so that there is seat for even those who could not score much,” he said.

Raghav Singh, 20, a first-time voter from Krishna Nagar, said he has voted with the hopes of getting more “skill based centres” and “professional colleges” in the city.

“There are several young people who do not want to pursue full-time degree courses for several reasons and people like that, there should be some skill-training centres to help us learn a livelihood. I hope that the next government gets us such centres,” he said.

Young voters residing in unauthorised pockets of the city said they voted for the “development” of their neighbourhoods. “By development, I mean the very basics – access to good education, decent health care facilities, water, etc., for all,” Manish Kumar, a resident of Yamuna Vihar, said.

First Published: May 13, 2019 10:19 IST