This year’s BMC elections saw a lot of changes and an equal amount of repetition. But the shockin fact was that only 45 per cent of the electorate voted. Manzil Thakkar spoke to some students of the city to know their take on the exercise
Elections came and went by, what is left behind are opinions, a lot of them. The youth, people felt, would be the decision makers this time. It was proven right to a large extent. A fair amount of youngsters, especially students opted to exercise their right to vote. Many did it for the excitement part and many others to dispense their duty towards democracy.
For Sejal Ganpule, a third year Electronic Engineering student at Thakur College of Engineering and Technology (TCET) it was a mixed feeling. “This was the first time I voted and I did it mainly for the adventure part. Frankly, I am not someone who keeps a tab on politics but I decided to vote because it is my duty as a responsible citizen to do so,” said Sejal.
Sudhanshu Kamat, another student of TCET was satisfied with the way Mumbai has been functioning and decided to stick to the same. For him it was mind over matter. “Voting for the first time I just had the candidate and not the party in my mind. It is the candidate who will work for you and not the party,” said Sudhanshu.
He also believed in the power of one vote. “Bad people rule the city because of the good people who do not vote. Every single vote matters,” he added.
Nakul Parasrampuria of the same college shared a mixed opinion. “For me, the capabilities of the candidate and the history of the party matter equally. I opted to vote because every single vote carries equal weightage and may act as the deciding vote,” said Nakul. Sejal, Sudhanshu and Nakul are a part of the large number of students of their college who voted in their respective wards. One thing common amongst them was their demand for a better infrastructure and transportation.
For Kruti Patel it was a matter of pride and privilege that she was able to vote. “After casting my vote for the first time I held my head high as a responsible citizen.
I preferred to vote for the party rather than an individual because the ruling party affects the entire political scenario in the city,” said Kruti, a Third Year BMM student of R.D. National College, Bandra West. She had to face a few difficulties citing her name in the list as she had just recently registered herself but it was all good when she got the chance to do it. She was also disappointed with the low voter turnout. “An effective government is not formed by the 45 per cent who vote but by the 55 per cent who don’t. Yes, my vote matters but ‘votes’ I feel matter more,” said Kruti.
Jayesh Khorjuvekar was another such student who stepped out to utilise his adult franchise. “I believe it should be made compulsory for everyone to vote. The higher class people take it for granted and feel their vote doesn’t count. This is wrong. Many candidates have won with a very low margin and this is where every single vote counts,” said Jayesh, a third year BAF student of Tolani College at Andheri East. The fact that the island city saw only around 37 per cent turnout warrants his statement. “I would definitely enter politics right after finishing my education. It is of no use to sit and complain; I would rather want to be in the system and try to change it from its core. Our political system today needs young and educated people with fresh ideas,” he stated. Another student of Tolani College, Rahul Choudhary also voted for change this year. “Nothing is permanent except change. I voted to bring about a change in how this city functions and I am happy to see the results. It is just a matter of few hours and we surely can spare that much time to choose our rulers,” he said. Jayesh and Rahul are a part of a group of a dozen students from Tolani College who made it a point to vote this year no matter what.
Voting is done and the results are out. Our fate is sealed for the coming five years. What is to be seen is how this awareness affects the political scenario in the coming Maharashtra Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.