First time voters decide the 2019 parliamentary of India

If you extrapolate the 2011 Census data, about 2 crore youngsters turn 18 every year. When the 2019 elections come around, there could be, hypothetically, 10 crore first time voters. Not everyone gets registered with the Election Commission of India (ECI), but that is a cohort that no political party can afford to ignore.

It is not just their number that is significant but also their characteristics.

First-time voters behave differently. They are often better informed, more educated and tech-savvy than the rest of their family, and they can take a stand that goes against the family’s established political leanings. They can also have an impact on elections by acting as opinion-makers and influences in their circle of family and friends.

For political parties, the concern and, sometimes, the opportunity lie in the fact that the number of first-time voters in India is humongous. According to ECI data, about 2.6 crore young people in the age bracket of 18 to 20 years have already been registered in the electoral rolls. The number is 1.38 crore for the 18-19 age bracket, according to ECI data, as on February 10

The big question, though, is which political party or alliance will succeed in creating the right narrative ahead of the 2019 parliamentary polls to attract the younger electorate. With the spread of 4G connectivity to rural India and cheaper smartphones, the 2019 battle is likely to be fought as much on phones as in the streets. Maybe, the younger lot will find phones more handy.