Close to 12 crore youths will
be eligible to vote for the first time in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. To put
that in perspective, no single party garnered more than 12 crore votes in the
2009 polls, showing how significant this segment can be if all of them register
to vote.
In the 2009 polls, the
Congress polled 11.9 crore votes, the BJP 7.8 crore, BSP 2.6 crore and CPM 2.2
crore. No other party polled even a crore of votes across the country.
POWER OF YOUTH
|
|
Number of potential
first-time voters in 2014 polls: 12 crore
|
|
Total Votes in 2009 LS
polls
|
|
Congress
|
11.9 cr
|
BJP
|
7.8 cr
|
BSP
|
2.6 cr
|
CPM
|
2.2 cr
|
Total voters in 2014: 79 cr
|
The draft electoral rolls
published by various states at this stage show that the national total is just
under 79 crore votes. Uttar Pradesh will have the highest potential first-time
voters with 2.3 crore young people crossing 18 in time for the polls. They will
account for 17.6% of the state's electorate of 12.9 crore. Maharashtra
comes next with 1.05 crore first-time voters or 13.2% of the state's
electorate. Bihar is third with 94.3 lakh youths, followed by West
Bengal with 90 lakh.
Top
4 States with first-time voters
|
|
State
|
First-time
voters
|
Uttar
Pradesh
|
2.3 crore
|
|
1.05 crore
|
|
94.3 lakh
|
|
90 lakh
|
These figures are derived from the age data released
recently by the census, and are based on all those aged between 15 and 19 at
the time of the 2011 census. All of them will be old enough to register to vote
in 2014; none of them would have been eligible in 2009. The numbers have been
reduced on the basis of the age-specific death rate for people between 15 and
19 years to account for people in this age group dying between 2011 and the
polls. The state-wise numbers may vary slightly if one takes into account
interstate migration from this age group, but the national number would be
unaffected.
As per the latest census, UP
and Bihar have the maximum number of children
due to high birth rate. Naturally, there will be more young people eligible to
vote.
The Election Commission (EC)
does a study to arrive at the number of eligible voters before every general
election. It examines the data of those in the 18 to 25 age group. If enrolment
is low, state chief electoral officers conduct special campaigns to enlist more
young people. On the other hand, if there are too many voters over the age of
80, officials check again to ensure that names of all dead voters have been
deleted.
Among the southern states,
Andhra Pradesh will have more than 80 lakh potential first-time voters followed
by Tamil Nadu with 62 lakh. Karnataka and Kerala could have 58 lakh and 26 lakh
such voters respectively.
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