Why Telangana wants to lower the minimum age for MPs and MLAs to 21
HYDERABAD: Telangana will convene a special session of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council in the first week of August to pass a resolution urging the Centre to reduce the minimum age for contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to 21 years, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy announced on Saturday.
The proposed resolution will also seek to reduce the minimum age for contesting Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha elections to 25 years, he said.
“We will convene special sessions of the Assembly and Legislative Council in the first week of August and pass a resolution seeking to reduce the minimum age to contest as an MLA or MP to 21 years. We will send the resolution to the Centre,” Revanth Reddy said.
Gen Z underrepresented in Parliament, says CM
The Chief Minister said Gen Z accounts for around 30% of India’s population but has less than one per cent representation in Parliament. He argued that the younger generation should have a greater role in the country’s legislative institutions.
“Gen Z has less than 1% representation in Parliament. A generation that constitutes around 30% of the population must be given greater representation in our legislatures,” he said.
Calls for young leaders in key ministries
Revanth Reddy said younger leaders could bring fresh ideas to governance, particularly in sectors such as education and information technology.
“If Gen Z youth become Education Ministers and IT Ministers, the country will move forward,” he said.
The Chief Minister also said he would raise the issue with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and leaders of the INDIA alliance.
“I will speak to Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA alliance about giving a Gen Z leader an opportunity to become the Union Education Minister as well,” he said.
