Revanth Reddy Pushes For 21 As Minimum Age To Contest Elections

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who participated in a candle march in Hyderabad on Saturday, announced that the state government will convene a special session of the Assembly and Legislative Council in the first week of August to pass a resolution urging the Centre to reduce the minimum age for contesting Assembly and Lok Sabha elections from 25 to 21 years.

Addressing a Gen Z solidarity rally in Hyderabad, Revanth Reddy said the resolution would be forwarded to the Centre and that he would personally meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek an amendment to the law.

Noting that 21-year-olds are already eligible to become IAS, IPS and IFS officers and can contest local body elections, the Chief Minister questioned why they cannot contest Assembly and Parliamentary polls.

Speaking to NDTV, Mr Reddy said, "If a 21-year-old can become an IAS officer, Mayor, or Zilla Parishad Chairperson, why can't they become an MLA or MP?" He cited countries such as Germany, the UK and Singapore as examples of greater political participation by young people.

Calling it a "Gen Z empowerment" initiative, Mr Reddy said the proposal aims to give young Indians a greater voice in lawmaking and governance. He also said the Congress would raise the issue in Parliament and seek support from the INDIA bloc for the proposed amendment.

Earlier, the Chief Minister praised the Gen Z-led protests over the NEET controversy, claiming that the movement had forced the Centre to reconsider its position and led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He also demanded the withdrawal of cases against protesting students and compensation for families affected by the NEET examination controversy.