First-time voters exercise franchise with enthusiasm

CHENNAI: Siblings Shaardhool and Shaarvari flew into the city on Thursday from Delhi, just to vote. They landed at noon and were received at the airport by their parents, who rushed them to a polling booth in Valsaravakkam, where all the family members exercised their franchise.


“If I do criticise the government, then I should also have a say as to who forms the government. So, I decided to make an effort to come down,” said Shaarvari, a student of

Ashoka University

,

Sonipat

.

Many first-time voters turned up at polling booths, enthused about exercising their franchise. Some, studying in universities outside the state went the extra mile to come down to the city for just a couple of days.

“Our children should know that their votes count and has an impact on government formation,” said Shaarvari’s mother Shalini, adding that youngsters are drivers of change.

Sarath Menon, a BA LLB student of Sastra University in Thanjavur, came to Chennai for the day. “I took an overnight train and reached this morning. I didn’t have a voter ID since we applied rather late online but had an EPIC number so I could cast my vote without any difficulty in KK Nagar,” said the 18-year-old. “I will be taking a bus back tonight itself as I have to attend classes. Though the trip is hectic, I wanted to do it as I know that every vote counts and even one vote can impact the results.”

Third year medical student Faseeha Anjum voted at a school in Royapettah, under Central Chennai

Lok Sabha

constituency, with her father. “I was looking forward to this moment because I want to see some change in the political scene,” she said.

In RA Puram, Jonathan Ashwin Joseph O'Connor, a call centre employee, voted time with his friends. “It was a memorable experience. I feel that younger people should contest in the elections,” he said.