 "Rajasthan Assembly Election: Over 20 lakh first-time voters to exercise franchise in state; better education, development, jobs key demands")
With the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha polls underway on Friday, first-time voters stand to make a large difference in the state. Rajasthan has reportedly at least 20.29 lakh first-time voters, approximately 4.18 percent of the total 4.7 crore electorate in the state According to a DNA report, this figure is 21 percent higher than the 2013 polls, where 16.5 lakh people exercised their franchise for the first time. This, in turn, is an increase of 9.8 lakh compared to the 2008 polls, when 6.71 lakh first-timers in the age group of 18-19 exercised their franchise. Many of these young voters have expressed concern about the unemployment that plagues the state:
In #Udaipur, met two first time voters — two budding Ayurvedic female doctors — sitting besides #FatehsagarLake. Express concern over lack of employment in Rajasthan for medicos#RajasthanAssemblyelection2018 #RajasthanElections2018 #RajasthanElection2018 pic.twitter.com/i1y1XaOkPv
— Rohan Dua (@rohanduaT02) December 2, 2018
NDTV spoke to some first-time voters, who said they were excited to finally help make a change in the state. They expressed disappointment at the lack of development in the state and said that their votes will be for the party that has brought progress to the state. First-time voters in the state want better education facilities. Speaking with 101Reporters, first-time voters from Sarmathura village in Baseri Assembly constituency in Dholpur district, said that they want the state government to build more government college for girls. They said there aren’t enough facilities for women’s education in the area.
Rajasthan tops the list in terms of women representation in India with 14 percent of all MLAs elected in the previous election being women. Though the number of women candidates (187) contesting in the 2018 polls is highest in the state’s history, the state failed to nominate women candidates in at least 83 Assembly constituencies, an analysis of the final list of candidates shows. In a state with 22 million women voters, that translates to an abysmal ratio of one women candidate every 1.16 lakh women voters. **Follow LIVE updates on the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha polls**
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