Why Gen Z could influence outcome of next civic elections?

Generation Z, or Gen Z, has emerged as a fresh equation in the upcoming civic polls of Bengaluru, significantly shaping the election strategies and prompting the aspirants to search for novel ways to strike a chord with voters.

As former councillor Abdul Wajid from Congress puts it, “The city has undergone substantial transformation over the last 10 years, and this new demographic of voters has a different view of society and the city. Aspirants should be well informed about this, tweak their views, and adjust to their mindset.”

He jokingly said that the “white and white” campaign will not work in these civic polls, as expectations now go far beyond fixing stormwater drains or providing water connections.

Former Mayor G. Padmavathi from the Congress said the demographic change would ensure true representation under women’s reservation. “Often, when a woman contests from the reservation quota and is elected, it is likely that a man (her husband or brother) ends up governing, while the woman remains just a face. This will change,” said Ms. Padmavathi, who has contested five civic polls and emerged victorious four times.

The logic behind Ms. Padmavathi’s statement is that the new pool of voters has a keen eye to notice whether a woman is contesting and campaigning based on her own views and ability or if she is merely a face for someone else’s strategy.

Prithvi Reddy, national joint secretary of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), predicted that this civic election is also likely to see a high voter turnout. He said the new voters are major victims of the infrastructure collapse over the years and the daily hardships resulting from it. “When people bear the pain directly, they address it. This new wave of voters, having witnessed these hardships, would want to fix the issues and will step out to vote this time around,” he said.

Candidates with a vision

Gen Z voters with whom The Hindu spoke to said they expect candidates to have a vision for the city along with knowledge of local civic issues and possess a strong voice and the courage to question unwanted developments.

Poorvi S., 21, who will be voting for the first time in the civic polls, said she would look for a candidate who can speak about larger civic policies that will shape the city, engage with citizens, and demonstrate the ability to think through and discuss practical solutions to civic issues such as sanitation, road safety and daily citizen grievances.

Smitha Rao, 27, an active civic worker in north Bengaluru, said candidates should have the attitude to govern without barriers and speak on issues such as air pollution, environmental concerns, and last-mile connectivity, which have grown in importance over the past few years. She added that candidates should also be committed to resolving long-standing issues such as garbage management and water tanker dependence by regulating them and dismantling the mafias that control these sectors.

Mr. Reddy said Gen Z voters alone cannot fix the issues and need younger representatives who understand what the city requires. This, he said, is why the AAP has decided that 35% of its contestants will be under 35 years of age.

Mr. Wajid said the party has already received 1,500 applications from aspirants. “The selection will involve multiple criteria, including the ability of candidates to understand the needs of voters across all age groups and cater to them,” he said.

However, citizens hope that candidates will not be the children or relatives of the same old councillors. At the same time, many former councillors have found ways to stay connected at the grassroots level. For instance, Ms. Padmavathi has started an NGO and continues to work closely with citizens, while BJP’s N.R. Ramesh, a former councillor , has remained active in the public domain.