Youth vote and its electoral impact
The byelection results in Bankipur and Datia, where the BJP lost, as well as the Jantar Mantar protests, have drawn considerable attention to the youth vote. In light of these developments, it may be appropriate to examine how young people have behaved politically over the past decade
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest led by young people, known as Gen Z, has garnered significant attention due to their growing political influence. With upcoming elections in seven States including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Gujarat, the electoral impact of this politically active demographic is a topic of discussion. The recent loss of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Bankipur Assembly seat in Bihar is believed to be partly due to the youth vote turning away from the party.
The article mentions the uneven participation of young voters across different States and age groups, with turnout rates ranging from 41% in Bihar for the 18-21-year-old age group to 95% in West Bengal and Assam for the same age group. The political preferences of young voters have also been shown to vary and shift between elections, as seen in West Bengal where support for the AITC+ declined while BJP support rose among 18-21-year-olds between 2021 and 2026.
The article concludes by emphasizing that the "youth vote" is not a single entity but a set of age groups with overlapping yet distinct political choices.
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