Revanth Proposes Gen Z Push: Lower MLA, MP Election Age to 21

He said the government would convene special sessions of the legislature in the first week of August and pass a resolution urging the Centre to reduce the minimum age for contesting Assembly and Lok Sabha elections from 25 to 21 years.

Another resolution will also be passed seeking reduction in the age limit from 30 years to 25 years to become MLC and Rajya Sabha member, the Chief Minister while seeking at a candlelight rally in support of students protesting in Delhi over the NEET paper leak issue.

The resolution would be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the introduction of a Bill in Parliament. Revanth Reddy said he would meet leaders of all political parties and seek their support for the passage of the proposed legislation.

He said said the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan had turned the rally at Necklace Road into a "victory rally". The Chief Minister, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers and senior Congress leaders, participated in the rally from People's Plaza to the Indira Gandhi statue, which witnessed a large turnout of youths.
Revanth Reddy said the "Gen Z tsunami" triggered by the NEET paper leak issue, which he said had resulted in the defeat of Prime Minister Modi and the resignation of Pradhan, should now enter the country's legislative bodies. Youth should become MLAs, MPs, ministers, Chief Ministers and Prime Ministers, make laws and run the country efficiently, he said.

Describing Pradhan's resignation as the defeat of the political image of "chhappan inch ki chhaati" (56-inch chest), a phrase associated with PM Modi's claims of strong leadership, Revanth Reddy said the victory belonged to the protesting youth and should not be claimed by any political party.
Making a case for reducing the eligibility age, Revanth Reddy pointed out that people could contest elections at 18 in the UK and Germany and at 21 in Singapore, where they could also become Prime Minister at that age. He questioned why a 21-year-old in India could become an IAS, IPS or IFS officer and contest local body elections but could not become an MLA or MP.
He recalled that the Rajiv Gandhi government had reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 through the 61st Constitutional Amendment Act of 1988, while the P.V. Narasimha Rao government had brought the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, enabling 21-year-olds to contest local body elections.

Citing examples, he said a 21-year-old woman had become mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, while a Telugu woman, Sri Lakshmi, became an IAS officer at the same age and D. Ananya from Mahbubnagar district at 22. He also referred to Telangana DGP C.V. Anand, who, he said, entered the IPS at 22.
Revanth Reddy noted that the eligibility age for Assembly elections was 25 and for the Rajya Sabha 30, despite Gen Z accounting for around 30 per cent of the population and having less than one per cent representation in Parliament. He said Telangana would take the lead in seeking the reduction of the age limit and efforts would be made under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge to secure the Bill's passage in Parliament. He also said he would discuss with Rahul Gandhi and the I.N.D.I.A. bloc greater opportunities for Gen Z in key positions such as Union education and IT ministers.
Revanth Reddy demanded immediate withdrawal of cases filed against protesting students and compensation for families of students who died by suicide following the NEET paper leak. He said Rahul Gandhi, Kharge and Congress MPs would raise the issue in Parliament.

Alleging that agencies such as the ED and CBI were being used to pressure political parties, he praised the youth for confronting the Centre and said the movement should continue until justice, accountability and greater political representation were ensured.
"This country belongs to Gen Z. The future of the country is the future of the younger generation," he said, calling upon the youth to move from Jantar Mantar to Parliament and make their voices heard globally.