First-timers cast vote for ‘deserving’ candidates

Other first-time voters Natasha Mahapatra,a student of Mira College and Apurva from D Y Patil College of Engineering too expressed excitement about the first polling day of their lives and conscientiously decided to cast their vote for ‘deserving’ candidates.

“Reservation of seats for women is a genuine effort to get them into mainstream politics but they should be given tickets after assessing their work and not just because her husband or father has been deprived of the ticket owing to reserved seat for women,” said Apurva. First-time voters Afrin Sayyed and Shirin Sayyed said it is a wonderful and powerful feeling to be able to decide the candidate for their area.

“Reservation for women is a good step as they will be given the opportunity to work for their areas,” said Shirin. Kashmira Mehershahi from Parsi colony in Lullanagar and 74-year-old Sister M Agatha from Kroot Niwas agreed.

“Expectations will be high. While it is good to see more women candidates contesting the elections,it is also important that they are able to function independently towards the area’s development,” said Sister Agatha.

Deepali Temkar,who works for a software firm,too observed that it was unfair for a deserving candidate to be denied ticket just because a woman was given ticket because her corporator husband did not get it owing to reservation for women.

For Meena Mehta from Sinhagad Road and Jayashree Shah from Bibvewadi if women were given tickets then it should be looked at as an opportunity to be able to work for the community.