Inked for the first time

Despite long queues and scorching heat, many first time voters marked their attendance at the polling booth on Wednesday. The excitement of voting for the first time kept them going. Right from applying for the voting card on time to making sure their name was on the electoral list, these youngsters made all preparations to exercise their right to vote.

Twenty two-year old entrepreneur, Rahul Anand says that casting a vote makes him a responsible citizen. “I had been waiting for this day since I turned 18. Casting a vote gives me the feeling of being a responsible citizen,” he says, adding, “The queue was not long at the polling booth and I got done with it in just 10 minutes. Also, at my polling booth, I noticed that several voters seemed to be in their 20s. Youngsters are making the most of their rights.”

Sujayendra Krishna, an HR executive says, “I was 17 during the last elections and felt left out because I couldn’t vote. Because of that, I was waiting for the 2014 elections even before the 2009 one had finished. The thing is, you see a lot of people complaining and whining about the country, but how many of them actually vote? So, as a first time voter, I feel proud that I’m doing my part for my country,” says the 22-year old.

Twenty three-year old Shraddha Jain says, “This is the first time I have voted and I was very excited about it for a week. There is enough awareness among youngsters about the importance of a vote.”

Twenty two-year old entrepreneur, Aakash Jain says, “I was looking forward to cast my vote, so I turned up at the booth by 7 am. There were hardly 10 people in front of me. The feeling of doing my bit for choosing the government was priceless. It was my chance to make a difference rather than regret for next 5 years for not voting.”