Participation of youths will be important in Vidhan Sabha elections to be held by year-end in Madhya Pradesh. Youths have become enthusiastic about electoral process due to Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Plan and other activities conducted by chief electoral office in the last two years. Number of young voters has grown rapidly in the State. About 35 of total 4.64 crore voters in Madhya Pradesh are youths in the age group of 18-19 years.
The number of voters in the age group of 18-19 years is 22.59 lakh for ensuing Vidhan Sabha elections. It is 4.86 per cent of total number of voters. Of these, 12.84 lakh are male and 9.74 lakh female voters. The number of other voters in the age group is 85.
The number of voters between 20 and 29 years of age is 1.40 crore, which is 30.20 per cent of total voters. Of these, 76.27 lakh are males and 63.97 lakh females. The number of other gender voters in the age group is 482. The maximum number of voters in the age group of 18-19 years is 1.10 lakh in Dhar district followed by Shivpuri 87,279, Barwani 77,913, Sagar 76,978, Khargone 72,907, Rewa 63,374 and number of this age group voters is 63,180 in Chhindwara district.
Similarly, the highest number of voters between 20 and 29 years of age is 6.43 lakh in Indore district, Jabalpur 5.24 lakh, Bhopal 5.18 lakh, Dhar 5.02 lakh, Sagar 4.72 lakh, Satna 4.41 lakh, Rewa 4.27 lakh, Chhindwara 4.25 lakh and number of this age group voters is 4.21 lakh in Morena district. SVEEP is under implementation in the State for last three years on the directives of Election Commission of India. Its objective is to increase registration of young voters and then bring maximum number of voters to polling booths. Special attention was paid to young and women voters through SVEEP Plan as a result of which number of young voters increased rapidly.