Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In the ensuing assembly elections, a wave of youthful enthusiasm is sweeping across the political landscape, as young candidates from both the BJP and Congress go head-to-head with seasoned politicians.

These young guns bring a new perspective to the political arena, Free Press spoke to some of these youth leaders to understand their top priorities and the challenges they are encountering as young politicians.

Never compared myself with seasoned politicians

BJP candidate Kamakhya Pratap Singh, 30, Maharajpur, said, “It has been a true blessing to grow up surrounded by people, witnessing my grandfather and father’s dedication to serving our community and making a positive impact. I firmly believe that politics is the most effective means to serve both the people and our society. My focus is on quality education, healthcare, and sports for our youth. In a smaller, more isolated community, these aspects matter greatly. I don’t compare myself to seasoned politicians, as I have my own unique approach to addressing the challenges we face. Thankfully, I haven’t encountered any obstacles being the young candidate, it’s been a positive learning experience, meeting many people, and I’m hopeful for a successful journey ahead.”

Prevailing mindset that only elderly individuals should contest

BJP candidate Heera Singh Shyam, 34, Pushprajgarh, said, “I think I am one of the youngest candidates to contest this election, being a face of youth my top priorities are Education and Sports. Our Pushparajgarh has more football teams than the entire Madhya Pradesh combined, I want to develop sports in the region, as it has the potential to unite communities and provide a pathway for the youth. There’s a prevailing mindset among some people that only the elderly are fit to contest assembly elections. However, I am not facing this hurdle to a significant extent as I was active in public service for the last few years.”

Actively engaged with the youth

Congress candidate, Jyoti Patel, 30, Rehli, said, “I maintain constant availability for everyone and actively connect with the youth through social media platforms as well as engage in one-to-one conversation. The youth is actively supporting me since as a 30-year-old; they hold high expectations for me. My primary goal is to combat corruption in my area and elevate the quality of education. Although challenging to compete against well-established politician, I remain steadfast in my commitment to not succumb to these challenges.”

Support of the youth has been invaluable

Congress candidate, Raksha Rajput, Khurai, said, “The support of the youth has been invaluable to me. People are viewing my candidacy favourably, especially since I am a young woman seeking votes. I’ve garnered a lot of love and respect. Unlike the current candidate, I have managed to connect with people on a deeper level. I actively engage through WhatsApp groups and regularly post on social media. I make it a point to visit villages and personally engage with the residents. While contesting against a seasoned politician presents its challenges, I’m determined to overcome each one of them.”

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