What voters really want

Politicians have got into the election mode: witness the new friendships and alliances in-the-making. But what does the electorate really want? DNA asks. Security, jobs and good governance are the priorities

New govt has to provide better governance
We expect the political leadership to take us to a level where we stand out as a progressive culture. We need good governance. But our economy needs urgent attention. The leadership also has to ensure better security on the nation's borders and also internal security. The nation's youth power needs to be harnessed better and for this it is necessary that adequate opportunities for employment be provided. If this does not happen they will resort to crime. I also think that the next government should ban all the unruly fringe groups that have been run amuck in these last few months. That can happen if such aggressive groups stop getting political patronage. We cannot emerge as a superpower if we remain backward in our thinking and corrupt in our dealings.
—Amith Prabhu

Secure our homes and lives, stop dividing us
If each home is safe then so is the world. Our leadership urgently needs to ensure better security for its citizens. Unless this is done nothing else makes any sense. Economic ups and downs come and go and there is little you can do about that except to wait out the cycle. I am sure our economy will rally around fast. But even now our politicians are not looking at the real issues. They still want to use old themes like religion to build vote banks. They are still busy trading charges as if that is of any concern to the common man. We as voters should refuse to entertain these divisive themes any more.
—Aarifa Khan

What about urban employment, minister?
The primary need today for any Indian would be internal security. But what we really expect from our leaders is action, not the kind of empty promises they make before every election. Few of the post-26/11 assurances have been fulfiled. We need answerable governance. We are also worried about the economic crisis. If this can be handled well a lot of other problems will sort themselves out. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is applicable to our villages but what about urban unemployment? Why is that seen as a smaller problem? A part of the blame for the mess lies with us, the voters. The percentage of people voting has to increase. Once educated people participate in the political process, a lot of its flaws can be smoothed out.
—Arjun Vyas

An insecure nation can never progress
In my opinion the biggest issue concerning India and the world today is security. With terrorism becoming almost a feature of our lives all other issues take a backseat. When a country is not secured how can it tackle development and other economic issues? When citizens are not even sure if they will survive that train journey home why would they fret about the GDP? Safety is the very basis on which a nation stabilises and then thrives. Do you see any unstable nation making economic progress? Foreign investment of which we make so much will flow in once investing nations realise we are a safe place to be in. Our politicians are so busy concentrating on themselves that they have no time to worry about what the people want. But the mood of the voter is rebellious this year. It might serve the parties better to give heed.
—Pooja Mathur

Concentrate on social welfare projects 
I  do really have great expectations from our leaders because we cannot depend on them to do what they say. But if we are privileged enough to get some good leaders in the next government, which seems like a remote possibility to me, then the priority area has to be public and community welfare. The power wielded by our authorities means little if they cannot ensure a decent lifestyle for the common man or implement projects to uplift the lives of the downtrodden. Our leaders also need to ensure the rule of law in the country. Too many people have been getting away with committing illegal deeds publicly with no fear of the law. This undermines the strength of the government and the nation as a whole. To ensure better rule of law we need leaders who have the will and integrity to bring about change. If they do not do this we will slip into a state of chaos.
—Harish Marolia