Revanth Bats For Lowering MLA Poll Contesting Age

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday said that when people at the age of 21 are eligible to become IAS and IPS officers, they should also be allowed to contest Assembly polls at that age.

Addressing a gathering at Osmania University after inaugurating newly constructed hostels and laying foundation stones for various buildings, Reddy alleged that by creating images of AI, a malicious campaign was unleashed that there were lions and elephants in the Hyderabad varsity.

"People at the age of 21 years become IAS and IPS officers and are administrating as district officials. Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar gave us the Constitution providing voting rights for people who completed 21 years of age.

"Today I request you to think and take it up as a programme. When the voting age was reduced to 18 years by former PM Rajiv Gandhi, when IAS and APS officers were working at the age of 21 years, why can't people be elected to the Assembly at the age of 21? This country needs young leadership," the CM said.

The age to contest in Assembly polls remains 25 at now.

Reddy said Telangana's 65 per cent of the population is between 21 and 35 years of age which is an asset to the nation.

Asserting that coffers in Telangana have become dry and there is no land available with the government to sell and raise funds, the CM said the state government is still committed to providing quality education.

Speaking about the glory of Osmania University, Reddy said the institution holds the distinction of having produced countless intellectuals. When political leaders gave up the separate Telangana movement for their own interests, it was Osmania University that carried the stir forward, fulfilling the dream of a new state, he said.

During the previous BRS regime there was a conspiracy to weaken Osmania University, he said, and vowed to restore the OU's lost glory.

Reddy said the state government is determined to fulfil one lakh government job vacancies within two and a half years of the Congress rule.

According to him, the statistics provided by the central government indicate that Telangana is the first state with the lowest inflation in the country at 1.5 per cent.

Reddy asserted that Prof M Kodandaram, whose MLC post was stripped of following a Supreme Court's judgment, will be sent to the legislature once again shortly.

Earlier this month, the apex court annulled the nominations of Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan as MLCs under the Governor's quota. 

Students of Osmania University on Monday warmly welcomed Minister to visit the campus in 20 years. Successive chief ministers had stayed away from the campus, the epicentre of the Telangana movement for nearly 25 years.

Then chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had attended the university’s centenary celebrations in 2017 but did not enter the campus; the event was organised at the OU ground, which he entered via Tarnaka.

Student leaders noted that Revanth Reddy visited as an alumnus and as a public representative, not as a political party leader.

Dr S. Nageshwar Rao, state president of George Reddy PDSU, said, “Our stand has always been that leaders should come as public representatives, not as political party leaders. If this had been a Congress meeting, we would have opposed it. But we welcome Revanth Reddy as a public representative and an alumnus. We also oppose and condemn the arrests that took place, especially the blocking of students with barricades.”

He added, “Our demands include the introduction of state government fellowships for students.” He also wanted that the mess should be made free; currently students have purchase mess tickets, and the university collects advance payments of Rs 8,000-Rs 15,000 depending on category.

He said the government’s allocation of Rs 500 crore Was insufficient, as it was meant only for salaries and pensions. “Our demand is to allocate at least Rs 1,000 crore. We also want health insurance for OU students and enhanced scholarships, increasing PhD scholarships from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 and MPhil scholarships from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000,” he said.

Because of limited seating, only two student representatives from each department and a few others were allowed into the auditorium. Many students stood at the entrance to the venue. Some Class IV contract workers, mostly sweepers, waited in the hope of drawing the Chief Minister’s attention to their demand for absorption into the university’s rolls.

BRS-affiliated students reportedly considered raising slogans against Revanth Reddy but did not create any disturbance on campus. Other students gathered near tea stalls and canteens across the length and breadth of the campus, watching the programme’s live stream on their mobile phones.

Revanth Reddy’s speech began with praise for the great personalities produced by the university and spoke about education empowering the downtrodden. “I want my brothers to become engineers and doctors,” he said, striking a chord with many students who had been undecided about him.

As the students followed the live telecast, the Chief Minister’s promise to transform Osmania University into an institution on par with Stanford and Cambridge began to win them over.

Students were also enthused by his announcement of a “Miracle Month” in December, when he would hold a meeting near the Arts College without a police presence.

Mohit Mudiraj said, “Several students accepted him after his speech and promises.”

Not all were convinced. Rukmath Pasha from the department of philosophy said, “Why were the course fees hiked in the 2022–23 academic year? Common students cannot afford education now. PhD fees, which used to be Rs 2,500 per year, have risen to Rs 25,000 per year. Many aspirants are withdrawing after seeing the new fee structure. It should be rolled back to the old slab.”