Saqib Ahmad
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Dec 17: With the increase in number of young voters, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo youths as 55-percent electorate in Jammu Kashmir are below 40-years.
In the last Lok-Sabha and Assembly elections , it was seen a large number of young voters turned up to exercise their franchise and is now believed they would hold a key position in the upcoming elections in the state.
Now in upcoming by-polls of Srinagar and Anantnag parliamentary seats, all political parties have decided to focus on young voters to ensure their win elections. "The issues of youth will be main focus for political parties in the state," a senior Congress leader said.
National Conference (NC) which faced pole debacle in the Parliamentary polls has starting taking measures to woo young voters for the upcoming polls.
The political parties have been inviting youth to join their parties. Mainstream parties have also been organising sports tournaments for the past over a year to attract young voters and inviting them to join mainstream politics.
According to the details of Election Commission of India, the J&K has 88,373 registered male voters and 60,107 female electorate in the age group of 18-19 years thus contributing 2.14 percent of total electorate.
However, the youth in the age group of 20-29 contribute 28.60 percent total electorate and highest numbers of voters fall in this age group. The State has total electorate 19,82,701 registered voters in the group with male voters 10,67,814 and 914,887 female.
25.2 percent total electorate are in the age group of 30-39 with number of male and female voters 9,02,244 and 8,49,274 respectively.
Unlike in the past when political parties were mostly dependent on traditional vote bank of old age, it is believed youths had influenced in the last Parliamentary elections and had contributed to Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) win in a big way.
The young voters had remained a focal point of parties campaign and they sought vote from the youth for a change.
Now, all the political parties are again trying to attract young voters ahead of parliamentary elections on two seats on the assurance that they will fulfil their demands if come to the power as they contribute a major vote share.
Scores of youth also joined mainstream politics who believed that they would be able to bring a change.
Details of Election Commission of India reveal that age group of 40-49 contribute 18.87 percent electorate with 6,79,427 registered male voters and 6,28,699 females.
There are 4,70,177 male and 4,10,533 registered female electorates between 50-59, contributing 12.70 percent electorate.
The age group of 60-69 and 70-79 contribute 7.35 and 3.78 percent electorate respectively. There are 2,66,544 male electorate and 2,42,766 female electorate in the age group of 60-69 years while as 1,36,478 male members and 1,25,356 are in the age group of 70-79 years.
Voters above 80-years of age contribute just 1.30 percent of total electorate with male members 46,832 and 43,137 female numbers. |
