Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday pushed for reducing the minimum age to contest assembly elections from 25 to 21 years. He argued that younger leaders must be given space in lawmaking to drive India’s future.Paying floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on his 81st birth anniversary at the late PM’s statue opposite the secretariat, the CM said the move would carry forward Rajiv’s vision of empowering youth. “It was Rajiv who gave voting right to every Indian above 18. Today, inspired by the same spirit, we want to give every 21-year-old the opportunity to shape lawmaking in legislative assemblies,” Revanth said. “Young IAS and IPS officers are successfully steering district administration and law and order responsibilities. If they can thrive at 21, why not as MLAs?” he said.He said the minimum age for contesting Lok Sabha elections could remain at 25 for now, the assembly threshold must be lowered to 21 so that ‘young guns’ can take charge at the state level.Revanth went a step further, tying the proposal to Congress’ national ambitions. “Telangana Assembly will pass a resolution urging the Centre to amend the Constitution once Rahul Gandhi becomes prime minister. To realise this dream, Rahul should be made PM,” he declared, calling on youth to rally behind Congress.He recalled how Rajiv had ensured 33% reservation for women in local bodies, laying the foundation for future legislation on women’s reservation in state assemblies and Parliament. Revanth claimed that despite BJP’s reluctance, it was Rajiv’s vision that sowed the seeds of women’s political empowerment. He also praised Rajiv’s partnership with technocrat Sam Pitroda, which spurred the information technology revolution.“In Hyderabad, the foundation for Hi-Tec City was laid during Nedurumalli Janardhan Reddy’s tenure as chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh. Today, Hyderabad stands as a hub for IT, data centres, and global capability centres, with Telugu technocrats holding crucial positions in Silicon Valley,” he said.Drawing a parallel between Rajiv’s vision and Congress govt’s current agenda, Revanth said his govt was working to make Hyderabad compete with the world’s best cities through projects like Future City and Musi river rejuvenation. He highlighted recent measures, including resolving long-pending SC categorisation and implementing 42% reservation, as proof of his govt’s commitment to inclusive growth.
