Coimbatore: Twenty-year-old K Aarthi of Selvapuram in the city was on cloud nine after casting vote for the first time on Tuesday.
Though she struggled to choose the right candidate initially, Aarthi read manifestos of all political parties to take a decision. She is now praying for the victory of the candidate she voted for.
“I want the government to create job opportunities for youngsters in the state, ensure basic amenities and empower farmers. I choose the candidate whose party had assured to fulfil these demands after discussing with my parents and friends,” Aarthi told TOI.
Nineteen-year-old A Vigneshwari of Kempetti Colony was all smiles after she stepped out of the polling booth. She clicked selfies with her relatives with the inked finger in focus. “Voters here have been choosing one of the two major parties for decades. We have seen a lot of corruption and scams. I don’t know what other parties are capable of doing if elected to power, but I wanted to give them a chance. I don’t want the mainstream parties to come to power,” she said.
Young voters like N Priya, 19, of Selvapuram was all for women empowerment and voted for women candidates. “Women are generally ignored, especially in politics. Even in this election, not many women candidates are contesting. So, I decided to vote for a woman candidate. I didn’t discuss with my parents or friends before I took the decision. I am not even sure that she will win. At least she had the courage to compete in the male-dominated field and deserves applause. Why should men have all the power all the time?”
Unlike Priya, A Sathish Kumar, 18, of Periyar Nagar consulted his parents and friends before voting. “Before this election, I had no idea about the democratic process,” he confided.