HYDERABAD: The Telangana government will soon convene a special session of the Assembly 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 current minimum age to contest elections is 25 years, news agency PTI reported.Addressing a candlelight rally organised over the NEET paper leak issue, the chief minister claimed that the Gen Z agitation had defeated the “56-inch chest” (a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi) and compelled Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign.“We will hold a special session of the assembly and legislative council in the first week of August.
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We will discuss in the assembly and pass a resolution to make 21 years the minimum age to contest as MLA and MP and send it to the Prime Minister,” he said.Pointing out that Gen Z accounts for 30% of the country’s population but has less than 1% representation in the Lok Sabha, Reddy said the country’s future would change if people above the age of 21 became ministers.He also proposed amending the Constitution to allow 21-year-olds to contest elections for the posts of MLAs and MPs, PTI reported.Giving examples from other countries, he said 18-year-olds can become Prime Minister and President in Germany and Britain, while in Singapore, a 21-year-old can become Prime Minister.Reddy said he would take responsibility for ensuring that a Gen Z leader becomes the Union education minister if Rahul Gandhi becomes Prime Minister.“I will speak to the INDIA bloc and meet leaders of every party. These people should not just return home after raising their voice on the streets. These youth should go to Parliament and make the voice of Gen Z heard all over the world,” he said.Reddy noted that 21-year-olds are already eligible to become IAS and IPS officers, as well as mayors and Zilla Parishad chairpersons.Recalling past electoral reforms, he said former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi reduced the voting age from 21 to 18, while former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao enabled 21-year-olds to contest elections for the posts of mayors and Zilla Parishad chairpersons.The chief minister further said the Congress, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, would raise in Parliament the issue of withdrawing cases registered against students and youth during the NEET agitation, besides seeking ex gratia for those who died by suicide following the paper leak.Deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, several ministers, CPI leaders and a large number of youth participated in the march.(With agency inputs)
