72% citizens want young faces in BBMP elections, says survey

By Anuksha Dey

People want young corporator aspirants to contest the upcoming polls to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). According to one city survey, 71.6% of respondents felt that the participation of youngsters in the government was not satisfactory. While 51% were willing to vote for young candidates, an additional 33% wanted to decisely vote for youthful contestants, if they had the right credentials. An overwhelming 92% agreed that the youth have to play a major role in city governance. This trend is already becoming a reality. In Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram, Arya Rajendran, a 21-year-old woman, became India’s youngest mayor in 2020. 

Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP) conducted the survey to assess the public opinion on the participation of youth in mainstream politics. The spot survey took place over months and was conducted by BNP Nava Yuva, the youth chapter of BNP, near Cubbon Park, Jayanagar, Indiranagar and Basavanagudi. Although the sample size of 278 people is less, the survey shows that Bengaluru was ready for a new generation of younger and more youthful politicians to take over the reins. 

Bengaluru is a city known for its youthful population demographics. The median age of an Indian stood at 26.8 years in 2015. Though Bengaluru has a number of political parties that have their student wing, and a history of strong student movements in the city,  the municipal corporators mostly represent a much older age group. 

Why Bangaloreans want more young faces in the government

Residents who took part in the survey stated that younger political leaders would bring fresh new ideas to the table. Involving youngsters in mainstream politics would also ensure that policies formulated by the government are made with an eye to the future. However, nepotism, lack of encouragement from other parties, and financial constraints were cited as the main reason for the lack of participation of youth in politics.

“We youngsters have observed and critiqued governance from the sidelines or on social media for quite a while now,” said Rishvanjas (Rishi) Raghavan, the 21-year-old founding president of BNP Nava Yuva. “It’s time we start acting on it by entering mainstream governance and participating in local elections.” 

Pics & graphs courtesy: BNP