Bihar Polls: For First-Time Women Voters, Safety is the Key Issue

The Quint visited the Patna Women’s College to get a sense of what dominates the mind of the first time voters.

Rajshree, a student at Patna Women’s college discusses the election. (Photo: The Quint)

33 per cent of Bihar’s electorate is below the age of 30. Political pundits believe that in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, youth across caste lines and economic sections played a huge role in the BJP’s victory.

The Quint visited one of the premiere colleges in the state capital, the Patna Women’s College, to get a sense of the key issues that dominate the mind of the first-time voters. While employment opportunities in Bihar are a major concern, safety and security continue to top the list of issues.

Many first time voters are even upset with the huge sums of money being spent on high pitched political propaganda.

Rajshree, Student, Patna Women’s College (Photo: The Quint)

<p>Literacy rate in Bihar is poor, people need to pull up their socks. There needs to be more social awareness. Job opportunities are less. That’s the big reason people want to leave. Nitish Kumar has done a lot for us, but you still see people on the flyovers sleeping without blankets. So people are more important than building roads, that’s what the government should focus on.</p>

<p><b>Rajshree, Student, Patna Women’s College</b></p>

Fatima Gazali, Student, Patna Women’s College (Photo: The Quint)

<p>The kind of money our politicians spend on hoardings, advertisements and propaganda, it would be so much better if they spent it on development of the people. Every monsoon, the condition in Patna is terrible, with overflowing drains; it is dirty and messy. If the government does good work, rather than spending money on propaganda, they will automatically be elected. Most people need to leave the state. They are not enough opportunities for men or women. Everyone needs to go out to Delhi or Bombay or other big cities to search for good jobs to earn according to their qualifications. Here they have to make do with whatever they are getting. But to make use of your talent, you have to go out.</p>

<p><b>Fatima Gazali, Student, Patna Women’s College</b></p>

Ayushee Dayal, Student, Patna Women’s College (Photo: The Quint)

<p>There are many issues that have cropped up. Women’s empowerment is a huge issue. No, we don’t feel safe, no one can feel safe in this environment. People judge you for the clothes you wear. Employment of resources is poor. Big hoardings are lit here in the evenings when people in far-off places in Bihar don’t even have electricity in their homes. No, we don’t believe in caste, our vote will depend on how they have worked, and worked not just in Bihar, but even in other states.</p>

<p><b>Ayushee Dayal, Student, Patna Women’s College</b></p>

Ashu, Student, Patna Women’s College (Photo: The Quint)

<p>I am a first time voter and I would like to vote for the BJP. They have promised a lot of things, I want to see how they implement them. Change is good and Bihar needs change. Nitish and Lalu coming together is like a comedy, a mockery. They won’t last, this bond will break. One of them will eventually want to overtake the other.</p>

<p><b>Ashu, Student, Patna Women’s College</b></p>

Angella, Student, Patna Women’s College (Photo: The Quint)

<p>There is a confusion this time around. People want to vote for Nitish because he has done a lot of good work, but then he joined hands with Lalu and there is a fear that jungle raj may return.</p>

<p><b>Angella, Student, Patna Women’s College</b></p>