Politicians in race to woo Gen Z

Youngsters protesting at Shivaji Park last month. For years, parties spoke about the youth but rarely treated them as a separate political force. Pic/Atul Kamble

There is a sudden rush among political parties to win over young voters. The BJP wants its ministers to interact with students. Congress has launched "Chhatrom ki Goonj". The MNS has started a membership drive to bring more young people into its fold. Even RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that the concerns of Gen Z need to be addressed.

Why has everyone suddenly discovered the youth? The answer is simple: political parties have realised that the first-time voter and Gen Z can no longer be ignored.

For years, parties spoke about the youth but rarely treated them as a separate political force. They assumed young voters would largely follow the political preferences of their families. If the parents supported a particular party, their children would probably continue with the same choice. That assumption is becoming dangerous. Today, the young voter has grown up with smartphones, social media, and instant access to information. A young person can listen to a political speech, check the facts, watch an opposing argument, and form an opinion within minutes.

More importantly, this generation does not necessarily carry the political memories of previous generations. A young voter may know who Bal Thackeray, Indira Gandhi or Atal Bihari Vajpayee was, but may not have the same emotional connection as their parents. The political battles of the past may mean much less to someone whose biggest concern is getting a job, paying college fees, finding affordable housing or securing a future.

This is why every political party is suddenly in a hurry. The BJP understands that young voters will be crucial in future elections. Asking ministers to engage directly with students is therefore not just an outreach programme. It is an attempt to build a relationship with a generation that could become a decisive electoral constituency.

Congress, through "Chhatron Ki Goonj", is trying to create its own space among students. It knows that rebuilding itself politically cannot depend only on older voters and traditional support bases.

In Maharashtra, the MNS is also trying to connect with Gen Z. Raj Thackeray's membership drive shows that even Marathi identity politics will have to be presented to a new generation in a different language. The RSS, too, has recognised the change. Its message that Gen Z protesters should be heard is politically significant. It appears to understand that dismissing young protesters or treating them as politically motivated could push an entire generation away.

There is another reason for this sudden political interest. The first-time voter has become more difficult to control.

Earlier, parties could depend heavily on established vote banks. Caste, community, family, loyalty and political networks played a major role in voting behaviour. These factors still matter. But the young voter is adding a new layer to the electoral equation.

A first-time voter may not have a fixed political identity. That makes this voter difficult but also attractive. A party that wins the confidence of a young voter today could potentially retain that support for many elections. That is why the battle for Gen Z is not only about the next elections. It is about the next decade.

There is also a bigger political lesson here. Young voters are not necessarily looking for another political party to simply tell them what to believe. They are increasingly looking for politicians who will listen to their problems and respond to them.

The recent youth protests should therefore be seen as more than a moment of political agitation. They were a warning. Young people want to be heard.
For years, politicians have said that the youth is the future of the country. That line may now need to change. The youth is not merely the future voters. It is becoming the voter who will decide the future of political parties themselves.

That is why everyone from the BJP and Congress to the MNS and the RSS is suddenly in a hurry to get Gen Z on its side.

The race has begun. And this time, the young voters may be watching the politicians more closely than the politicians are watching the young voters.

Sanjeev Shivadekar is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @SanjeevShivadek

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