In a spirited speech in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha called for a significant reform in the electoral process, proposing a reduction in the minimum age required to contest Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections from 25 years to 21 years. Chadha’s proposal aims to encourage greater youth participation in mainstream politics.
“We are a young country with old politicians,” Chadha stated. “We must aspire to be a young country with young politicians.” His remarks highlighted a growing sentiment that India’s political landscape should better reflect the demographic composition of its population.
Chadha argued that if individuals can vote at the age of 18, they should also be eligible to run for office at 21. “If a youth can vote at the age of 18, then why can’t they get into the elections at the age of 21?” he questioned, emphasising the need for younger voices in the legislative process.
India is known for having a predominantly young population, with an average age of 29 and 65 percent of its population under 35. Despite this, the political representation remains skewed towards older age groups. Chadha pointed out that while 26 percent of MPs were below the age of 40 in the first Lok Sabha elections post-independence, only 12 percent of the current MPs fall into that age bracket.
The current regulations set the minimum age for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections at 25 years, while candidates for the Rajya Sabha or State Legislative Council must be at least 30 years old. Chadha’s proposal seeks to address the disparity between the youthful population and the age of its political representatives.
Chadha further noted that the lack of youth participation is partly due to the perception of politics as a less desirable profession. By reducing the minimum age, he believes that more young individuals would be incentivized to enter and influence the political arena.
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