Political parties shift focus to young voters as Andhra assembly, LS polls near
Vijayawada: The opposition parties in AP are making serious bids to attract youths to their parties in anticipation of the fire-spitting assembly and LS polls next year.
The Jana Sena is conducting a Yuva Sakthi meeting on Jan 12 in Etcherla on the Ranastalam – Cheepurupalli highway. As many as 100 youngsters have been enlisted to address such gatherings.
Main opposition, the TDP, has chalked out a political strategy targeting youths. Party general secretary Nara Lokesh is starting a 'Yuva Galam' after the Sankranti. The AP Pratyeka Hakku Saadhana and Vibhajana Haamila Saadhana Samiti are set to conduct a Vidyarthi Yuvajana Samara Yatra from Hindupur to Ichapuram from Jan 20 to Feb 4 with participation of youth and students.
According to the Election Commission 2023 data, AP has 3,99,84,868 voters. Female voters are higher at 2,02,21,455 compared to male voters who number 1,97,59,489. Voters in the age group of 20-49 years form nearly 50 per cent of the total voters.
TD projected the son of TD chief and former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu as a young leader and announced his 4000-km Padayatra from Jan 27, styled as Yuva Galam (youth voice).
Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan who has a good fan following among the youth has announced a Yuva Sakthi (youth power) programme on Jan 12, birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, which is also observed as Youth Day.
As part of the Yuva Sakhti programme, the JS leadership is planning a massive gathering of youths of North Andhra. The meeting would discuss issues being faced by the youth. North Andhra districts are backward and people are migrating to other places for their livelihood.
The JS held tests to select 100 young speakers to address the Yuva Sakthi meetings. Pawan Kalyan has said the youth will be given a free hand to talk and decide what kind of initiatives and policies should be taken by governments in the future.
The Yuva Galam padayatra will run for 400 days from Kuppam in Chittoor district to Ichchapuram in Srikakulam, covering 4,000 km. Lokesh announced that his walk would be aimed at attracting the youth towards the TDP and sensitize them in the process of setting the agenda for the state’s future.
TDP’s rank and file, mainly its youth wing the Telugu Yuvatha is making the arrangements for the Yuva Galam programme.
The ruling YSRC and other parties are also chalking out strategies to attract the state’s youth towards their parties as part of the Election 2024 strategies.
