CM Vows to Cut MLA Poll Age Limit From 25 to 21
Revanth Reddy praised former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi for reducing the minimum voting age from 21 to 18, saying it helped the country in strengthening the parliamentary democratic spirit.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday said that the government would pass a resolution in the Assembly seeking to amend the Constitution to lower the minimum age to contest Legislative Assembly elections to 21 from 25. Revanth Reddy said that 21-year-old IAS and IPS officers were successfully working in districts and asked, “why can one not be an MLA at 21 years of age?”.
Revanth Reddy praised former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi for reducing the minimum voting age from 21 to 18, saying it helped the country in strengthening the parliamentary democratic spirit. He was speaking at an event to commemorate the anniversary of the 'Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra', launched by the late former prime minister here in 1990. He also presented the 'Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana award to former Union minister Salman Khurshid.
“In the coming days, a resolution will be passed in the Telangana Assembly seeking Constitutional amendment for reducing the minimum age to contest Assembly elections from 25 to 21. Youth must be given the opportunity to run the country,” Revanth Reddy said.
He remembered that the Sadbhavna Yatra was taken up by Rajiv Gandhi to safeguard the integrity of the country. Reddy also recalled that Gandhi family has inspired the entire country and the word - Gandhi is synonymous with India.
The Chief Minister attacked the opposition BRS, accusing that it is the “B” team of BJP to split the votes in the ensuing Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency bypoll.
The BRS had entered into a secret agreement with the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and transferred its votes, he alleged. "Who got 21 per cent of the BRS vote in the parliamentary elections? Now they (BRS and BJP) are conspiring to do the same in the Jubilee Hills byelection. They are conspiring to split the votes in the next elections as well. The people must be aware of the internal politics between BRS and BJP," Revanth Reddy asked and asked the people to foil it while voting on November 11 in the Jubilee Hills byelection.
He said that the word `Gandhi' was synonymous with India and that the Gandhi family had sacrificed their lives to protect the country's secularism and integrity. “The history of three generations sacrificing their lives for the country is that of the Gandhi family."
The Chief Minister stated that Salman Khurshid's connection with the Gandhi family was not new; they had been working with the Gandhi family for three generations. “It is a matter of pride for all of us to present the Rajiv Sadbhavana award to Salman Khurshid. The great Rajiv Gandhi gave the right to vote to the youths at the age of 18 and involved them in the development of the country, the Chief Minister noted. He said Rahul Gandhi had completed the Bharat Jodo Yatra for the integrity of the country, inspired by his father Rajiv Gandhi.
