key to success in TN: Winning over voters in the 30-39 age group

Voters in the age group of 20 to 50 constitute more than 60 per cent of the voting population in the State. Among them, more than 1.385 lakh voters, aged between 30 and 39, form the majority.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced that the Lok Sabha polls will be held on April 18 in the second phase of the seven-phased Lok Sabha polls. All the parties in the State are busy preparing election manifesto to satisfy voters across all ages.

But the main target of the ruling party and opposition would be the working class people. For instance, BJP, which is ruling in the Centre, has already extended the Income Tax slab up to Rs 5 lakh while the opposition Congress has assured universal basic income if they are voted to power to lure the working class votes.

However, one of the major issues faced by the tricenarians is the increasing burden of taxes, both direct and indirect taxes. Many tricenarians, who had successfully started their small and medium scale enterprises, abandoned their businesses after the introduction of GST. They were forced to become labourers.

One of them is Vijayakumar (34), hailing from Vellore. Vijayakumar, who was into printing press business, could not sustain after GST was imposed. “After GST, the printing business became costlier as it came under the 18 per cent slab,” Vijayakumartold Dt Next.

He also added that only large-scale printers, who are in business for several years, can sustain in the GST era and many small-scale printers like him have closed their businesses. At present, Vijayakumar is working in a cafeteria in an IT park in Bengaluru.

However, the recent Income Tax exemption limit raised up to Rs 5 lakh will attract votes from salaried class. Hariharan (32), working as a supervisor in a private company in Ambattur industrial estate, said that the increase in I-T slab was a welcome move by the Central government. “Though it was announced keeping the upcoming election in the mind, it is still a huge relief for people like us,” said Hariharan.

Meanwhile, political experts claimed that the parties will prepare their poll manifestos aiming to satisfy this voter segment. “We can expect political parties to announce several freebies in their election manifestos but they alone can’t satisfy the voters,” said political commentator Tamilvanan.

He also said that leadership face of an alliance and party matters more than electoral promises. “BJP promised to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks and to distribute Rs 15 lakh to every family in the country but the promise was never implemented. So, mere promises will not satisfy the voters”, said Tamilvanan.

Talking about preparation of election manifesto, State Fisheries Minister, D Jayakumar said, “AIADMK is a welfare oriented party and it will implement welfare schemes for youth. Irrespective of elections, the party will work for the welfare of the people.”

DMK Organising Secretary, R S Bharathi, said, “DMK poll manifesto is prepared by a committee headed by TR Baalu, DMK Parliamentary Leader, and it will not be appropriate for him to comment on the manifesto.”