Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy proposed lowering the minimum age to contest Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections from 25 to 21 years [1].

The move aims to integrate Generation Z into the formal political process, addressing a gap between professional eligibility and political candidacy. By reducing the age barrier, the administration seeks to ensure that younger citizens have a direct voice in the governance of the state and the nation.

Reddy said that lowering the contesting age to 21 will give Gen Z a voice [2]. He said that 21-year-olds are eligible to join the civil services but cannot contest Assembly or Lok Sabha elections [2].

The proposal includes multiple tiers of age reductions. For the Lok Sabha and State Assembly, the age would drop from 25 to 21 years [1]. For the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Council, the proposal suggests lowering the eligibility age from 30 to 25 years [1].

These changes would represent a significant shift in India's electoral framework, which has long maintained higher age thresholds for candidates than for voters. The proposal targets the demographic reality of a young population that is increasingly active in civic discourse but barred from seeking office until their mid-twenties.

A special Assembly session is expected in early August 2026 to address the matter [3]. The session will likely serve as the formal venue for debating the legislative changes necessary to implement these age reductions.

Reddy's initiative focuses on the belief that the future belongs to the youth. By aligning the age of political candidacy with the age of civil service entry, the proposal seeks to remove what the chief minister views as an arbitrary barrier to leadership.

“Lowering contesting age to 21 will give Gen Z voice.”

This proposal attempts to bridge the gap between voting rights and the right to hold office. If implemented, it would make India one of the few major democracies allowing 21-year-olds to contest national elections, potentially shifting the political landscape toward youth-centric policy and representation.