Ranchi/Jamshedpur: Deprived of civic body elections for nearly three years, thousands of young voters aged between 18 and 21 will now get their first opportunity to participate in civic body polls on Monday, and many say they are taking the exercise seriously. In Jamshedpur, some residents will be casting their votes in a municipal election for the first time since independence.For the young voters, the three-year delay meant that an entire batch of newly eligible voters was casting ballots for the first time in a municipal election. In wards across Ranchi, from Kanke and Harmu to Doranda and Lalpur, college students and first-time voters are actively discussing civic issues like sanitation, roads, drainage, street lights, and the condition of local schools.Sameer Krishna, a 19-year-old from Ward 10, said he was waiting for this moment. “We kept hearing about civic issues, but we never got a chance to vote. Now that we can, we want councillors who focus on roads and proper waste management,” he said. Another first-time voter, Ayush Kumar, also 19, said, “For students, clean surroundings and safe streets matter more than big speeches.”In Ward 1, 18-year-old Simran Singh described the experience as empowering. “This is my first election ever. Local governance directly affects our daily lives — from water supply to street lights near tuition centres,” she said.Krishna Kant Pathak, 19, echoed similar concerns, pointing to uneven roads and clogged drains during the monsoon.Young women voters are equally vocal. “Safety and lighting are major issues,” said 20-year-old Sakshi Kumari Sharma. Tanu Kumari, a 19-year-old, said better civic planning would create a healthier environment for students preparing for competitive exams.Many first-time voters said they familiarised themselves with the ballot-based voting system and encouraged peers to participate. For Ranchi’s youngest electorate, this long-awaited civic poll is not just a formality; it is their entry into shaping the city’s neighbourhood-level future.In at least two municipal areas, the voters, including youngsters, are excited about their first electoral franchise in any municipal election. These two municipal bodies are separated from the Jamshedpur Notified area, and since Independence, this is the first time an election has been held in the two civic bodies.Talking to TOI on Sunday, Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Mango area, who is studying medicine at a private college in Jamshedpur, said, “I am a third-generation resident of the area, which still has no proper water supply or drainage system, two basic and important civic amenities. No MLA or MP of any political party could resolve our problems. My family and I hope that after the civic body polls, the candidate who wins will ensure development in this non-Tata Steel command area.”He also said, “In Jamshedpur, people living in the command areas get proper piped water supply, uninterrupted electricity supply, good roads, proper garbage disposal, but it is just the opposite in Mango and Jugsalai.”Sabina Begum, also from the Mango area, said, “Look at the garbage lying on the main road. During rain, when already clogged drains overflow, we are literally confined to our houses for days.”Sabina, a collegegoer, said, “I will vote for the candidate tomorrow who can ensure a solution to our civic problems that have been there in the area for the last 50 years.”Hassan Akhter, a student of a diploma engineering college, said, “Traffic jam is a nightmare for people living in the Mango area. The main roads are encroached by vendors and vehicles parking illegally. The area has no good schools, and residents have to send their kids to Bistupur, Sakchi and other areas for better education.”
