Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has advocated reducing the minimum age for contesting Assembly and Lok Sabha elections from 25 years to 21 years, arguing that young people should be given greater opportunities to participate in the country’s democratic process.
In an interview with IANS, the Chief Minister said that if individuals aged 21 are considered eligible to become civil servants, mayors, and district panchayat chairpersons, they should also be allowed to contest elections to the Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha.
Revanth Reddy proposed that the minimum age for contesting Assembly and Lok Sabha elections be reduced to 21 years, while the eligibility age for the Rajya Sabha should be fixed at 25 years through an amendment to the relevant law.
Emphasising the importance of youth participation in governance, he said the voices of young people should be represented in the Legislative Assembly, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha.
“It is necessary because when 21-year-olds are eligible to become IAS and IPS officers, mayors, and district panchayat chairpersons, they should also have the opportunity to become legislators,” he said.
The Chief Minister pointed out that nearly 30% of India’s population belongs to Generation Z, and said the younger generation should have opportunities to serve as MLAs, MPs, state ministers, and Union ministers.
Referring to electoral reforms, Revanth Reddy recalled that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi reduced the voting age from 21 years to 18 years through the 61st Constitutional Amendment. He argued that after lowering the voting age, the time has now come to reduce the minimum age for contesting elections as well.
He also noted that several countries have adopted policies encouraging greater youth participation in politics and said India should similarly strengthen democratic representation by empowering young leaders.
Special Assembly Session in August
The Chief Minister announced that the Telangana government will convene a special session of the State Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council in the first week of August to pass a resolution seeking a reduction in the minimum age for contesting Assembly elections. The resolution will subsequently be forwarded to the Central Government for consideration.
Push for Telangana Infrastructure Projects
Apart from electoral reforms, Revanth Reddy said his government is actively pursuing approval for several major infrastructure projects, including the Regional Ring Road (RRR), Hyderabad Metro Rail expansion, Musi River Development Project, Adilabad Airport, and the proposed Bullet Train alignment.
He stated that final decisions on these projects are awaited and that Cabinet approval would follow once the necessary clearances are received.
The Chief Minister also urged the Centre to extend equal support to Telangana’s development, saying the state should receive the same level of attention as Gujarat.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of the entire country. Telangana has abundant natural resources, and we want to contribute significantly to the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047. Our aim is to contribute nearly 10% to India’s proposed $30 trillion economy,” he said.
