Revanth Reddy Demands Lowering Election Contesting Age to 21, Calls August Session

HYDERABAD — Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has announced that the state government will convene a special session of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council in the first week of August to pass a resolution urging the Union government to lower the minimum age for contesting elections from 25 to 21 years.

Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, Chief Minister Reddy proposed a new slogan, 'Jai Jawan - Jai Kisan - Jai Yuva', emphasizing the need to unlock the leadership potential of young people and involve them in shaping the country's political future. He urged the Centre to introduce a constitutional amendment to allow 21-year-olds to contest both Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Reddy stated that young citizens are already demonstrating leadership capabilities and should be provided with opportunities within the political system. He noted that expanding the role of youth within the democratic framework remains essential for the future of the nation.

The Chief Minister suggested that the Union government consider lowering the contesting age alongside other major electoral and legislative reforms, including constituency delimitation, increasing the number of Parliamentary seats, and implementing women's reservation.

To formalize the demand, the Telangana state government plans to convene the special assembly session during the first week of August. Assembly members will deliberate on the matter and pass a formal resolution, which will subsequently be submitted to the Prime Minister.

During his address, Chief Minister Reddy also expressed concern over the conduct of national-level examinations, specifically mentioning CBSE, NEET, and NET tests. He urged the Union government to implement appropriate measures to protect students and their families. Furthermore, Reddy appealed to the Centre to revoke cases registered against students during protests at Jantar Mantar and urged the government to provide compensation to the families of NEET candidates who died by suicide following paper leaks.