How Millennials and Gen Z Are Remaking the Electoral Landscape
“The youth vote in India is reshaping the country’s democracy, with young voters leading the charge. With 210 million citizens aged 18 to 29 on the electoral rolls, they now constitute 22% of India’s 970 million-strong electorate.” Their sheer strength allows them to decide who rules the world’s biggest democracy.”
The Statistics Behind the Youth Vote in India”
“Historically, turnout among young voters was low.” In 2009, there were just 54% of young voters who voted. By 2014, turnout was 68%, which was above the country’s average. “In 2019, the turnout dropped to 67%. “Importantly around 153 million young adults cast their votes
Their decisions are already altering results.”Almost 63 million young people voted for the BJP in 2019, giving the party a substantial boost over Congress. “In the 2019 polls, just under 63 million young voters voted for the BJP, propelling the party to a convincing lead over Congress. Many of these races were nail-biters: in 97 constituencies, victors won by less than 5%, demonstrating how the youth vote can actually decide election results.”
. In these areas, the youth vote can easily alter outcomes.Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_2019_Indian_general_election
Shifting Priorities of Young Voters
Gen Z and millennials are less concerned about traditional religion- or caste-based politics. They are posing harder questions:
Where are the jobs?
How will living costs be managed?
What is being done about climate change, education, and healthcare?
Young voters too prioritize gender equality and mental health. They are looking for problem-focused leaders, not slogan ones. For political parties, this presents a difficulty. To gain their trust, they need to take action, not promise it. With opinions made on social media on a daily basis, young voters swiftly identify what comes across as insincere or performative.
social media and it’s role
Why the Youth Vote Can Redraw India’s Electoral Map
The youth vote is not merely about numbers—it’s about influence. In 2019, nearly 100 seats were taken with extremely narrow margins. 2024’s first-time voters may tip the result in many of these seats.https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-youth-vote-impact-2024-elections-2547582-2024-06-03
Candidates are making an effort to reach out to young voters. “From leveraging influencers to running online campaigns, political parties understand that young voters cannot be left behind. Millennials and Gen Z are demonstrating that they are already influencing elections today.”
Power of the Young: The Making of India’s Political Future
India’s youth voters are taking a step forward with confidence.They are demanding answers, asking for change, and ensuring that their vote matters. India’s political map is changing, and this time it is in the hands of the youth.
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