Will push for lowering contesting age for MLA, MP to 21: Telangana CM Revanth

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced that the State government will soon pass a resolution in Parliament urging the Center to amend the Constitution to lower the minimum age for contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections from 25 to 21, arguing that India’s Generation Z deserves greater representation in legislatures and the administration.

Addressing a large gathering of students and youth in Hyderabad following the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Mr. Reddy said that the Telangana Assembly and the Legislative Council will meet in the first week of August to pass a resolution seeking an amendment to lower the minimum contest age for Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly to 21 years. The decision will then be conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Recalling the constitutional reforms that increased youth participation, the Prime Minister said that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 with the 61st Constitutional Amendment, recognizing the voice of young India. He also touched upon the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments introduced during former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao’s tenure, which allowed 21-year-olds to contest local body elections.