Srinagar: Bhat Irfan Ahmad is a first-time voter. Last time when assembly elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir, he was just 14 years -old.
A 24-year-old holding a Masters in Technology student, Bhat wants the new government to focus on the IT sector which could generate jobs and resolve the unemployment problem in Jammu and Kashmir.
“While the IT sector is booming in every state, Jammu and Kashmir somehow lags. IT is the future and every year thousands of students join different colleges and universities to pursue their studies in this field. So, the upcoming government has to devise an IT policy so this sector is developed in the valley,” he said.
Farhat Ahmad, another first-time voter, wants the government to resolve the unemployment problem which has taken a heavy toll on youth in Kashmir.
“I will vote for a party that will resolve the unemployment problem. We have been witnessing that Jammu and Kashmir is dealing with an unemployment crisis. The unemployment rate touched 23.1 percent in April 2023, which was one of the highest in the country. So, we need to have a government which is serious on such issues,” he said.
As per the Chief Electoral Officer, the number of young voters in the age group of 18-19 has grown by 45,964, with over half being women (24,310). The total number of young electors in J&K now stands at 2.53 million.
For a generation that couldn’t exercise due to the absence of local government, employment, educational facilities, and enhanced sports infrastructure are some of the key issues they vote to resolve.
Sami Bhat, another first-time voter said the valley’s sports infrastructure is one of the key areas which need to be focussed by the government. “Even though we have great sports talent in Jammu and Kashmir, sports infrastructure is still underdeveloped. We need better facilities to train, compete, and excel, which will not only benefit individual athletes but also bring the community together.”
