Development, pollution, women’s safety among key concerns of first-time voters in Delhi Assembly polls

NEET aspirant Sanjana Chaudhary, who arrived astatine a polling booth successful Shalimar colony to workout her franchise for the archetypal time, said she wanted the authorities to make “better occupation opportunities for the future.” Sanjana came with her begetter Anil Kumar Chaudhary, 46, who works arsenic a driver, and said that “whoever forms the authorities should guarantee amended opportunities successful aesculapian colleges with much seats for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.”

More than 1.67 lakh voters were added to Delhi’s electoral rolls betwixt October 29, 2024, and January 6, 2025, bringing the full fig of electors successful the metropolis to 1,55,24,858. As galore arsenic 52,554 first-time voters, aged betwixt 18 and 19, were among those added to the rolls, bringing their fig to 2,08,302 from 1,55,748.

First-time elector Tanuja Kumari, 19, from Pitampura colony said she heard Kejriwal talking successful his podcast astir the enactment helium did for “roads, energy and subsidised h2o supply” and decided to ballot for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). She said she present wants the authorities to guarantee amended information for women. “It’s not harmless for maine to question oregon locomotion unsocial successful the area. My begetter oregon member bring maine location from the Metro station,” she said.

“I person voted for vikas (development). I americium blessed with the existent authorities but privation much seats for young radical successful competitory exams and authorities jobs,” said Isha Mishra, a Class 11 pupil and first-time voter, adding that “more attention” needs to beryllium paid to authorities schools.

Pollution and deficiency of nationalist transport were the main issues that disquieted Akshat, 23, who besides formed his maiden vote. “I privation determination were much buses. A bully nationalist transport strategy is indispensable for Delhi. I besides privation to unrecorded successful a pollution-free city,” helium said.

Srishti Garg, 18, a first-time elector from Rohini’s Sector 13 which sent BJP’s Vijender Gupta to the Delhi Assembly adjacent during sweeping wins by the AAP successful the past 2 elections, said she is “mostly content” with the improvement successful her area.

AAP pupil unpaid Harsh Kumar, 18, not lone exercised his franchise for the archetypal clip but besides assisted the enactment successful bringing voters from the Peeragarhi alleviation campy to assorted polling booths successful e-rickshaws.

“I americium a large instrumentality of Arvind Kejriwal, my household besides supports the AAP,” said Misbah, 18, a nonmigratory of Rajpur roadworthy who was astatine a polling booth successful Civil Lines. “I was tense and excited, conscionable waiting to vote. I americium blessed with the existent authorities and its services. Making buses escaped for women is thing I truly appreciate. We get zero h2o and energy measure arsenic well. The Congress won’t basal anyplace successful this election. The existent combat is betwixt AAP and BJP,” Misbah said.

First-time voters and Congress volunteers Nitin Rawat, 18, Kalash Prajapati, 19, and Ujjwal Swami, 21, who survey astatine the School of Open Learning, said they privation to spot the Congress authorities backmost successful powerfulness due to the fact that “Kejriwal has not done thing for Delhi”. “We privation a authorities that tin regularisation Delhi similar Sheila Dikshit did,” they added. The 3 person been campaigning for the Congress for a period and formed their votes connected Wednesday.

A elector turnout of 46.55 per cent was recorded successful Delhi till 3 p.m. arsenic polls were underway for each 70 seats successful the Assembly. The results volition beryllium declared connected Saturday.