20-year-old Kripa Aryal of Bhaktapur-2 is voting for the first time. She is a graduate student at the ‘S Institute of Management’ and is very excited about the election. ‘I am exercising the right to choose the leadership for the first time, I am happy,’ she said.

Kripa said that she is discussing with her family about who to vote for. ‘Even after discussing with her family, I will choose the candidate using my own discretion,’ she said. ‘I have studied the candidates and the party’s agenda. We need a representative leadership that connects the youth with technology and understands the problems of the people.’ She said that even though she gets enough information on social media, she does not trust all the content easily. 

20-year-old Bipika Silwal, a graduate student at the ‘National Law College’ in Kathmandu, is also a new voter. She is voting from Dhading-2. ‘I understand that voting means using my right to build my future. The voter ID card has given me the impression that I am a capable citizen,’ she said. 

Bipika informed that she is understanding the agenda of the candidates in her constituency. ‘I am observing how much work the previous representatives have done, what the new representatives are planning,’ she said, ‘We need a leader who will do a good job. I am getting information about the candidates from social media. The family also has its own opinion on the issue of candidate selection. I use my discretion.’ She believes that the new leadership should prioritize technology. 

Like Kripa and Bipika, the youth who are going to vote for the first time on Thursday seem enthusiastic. They seem impatient to exercise their franchise because the election was held after the dissolution of the then government and the House of Representatives due to the Gen-G rebellion. According to the Election Commission, there are 915,000 new voters in this election. 

Ayushma Dhakal, 21, who is studying for a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering in Dharan, has reached Nepalgunj to vote. She is a voter of Banke-1. She said that she is enthusiastic about voting as she will also participate in the process of forming the country and the government. ‘We need to select honest candidates who understand the people, listen to and address everything,’ she said. ‘We should be able to make decisions using our own conscience, not by looking at social media.’

According to Ayushma, leaders are only investing and prioritizing infrastructure, but the needs of the people, such as education and health, are not prioritized. For that, she says, the youth should now challenge the leadership. ‘Now the young generation is also understanding politics, so they can improve politics,’ she said. 

Indavi Baral is also a Gen-G voter for the first time. The 20-year-old is voting in Kathmandu-4. She is studying ‘Computer Science and AI’ as a bachelor’s degree at a software college and is also looking for a leader who can connect technology with the youth. ‘The future leadership should make plans targeted at the youth,’ she says. ‘Finding employment opportunities is the first need of the hour.’