Parliament Session 2024: Raghav Chadha makes strong pitch for reducing minimum age for contesting elections to 21
"We are a young country with old politicians, we must aspire to be a young country with young politicians" : Raghav Chadha
Parliament Session 2024: During the 2024 Parliament Session, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha made a strong pitch for reducing the minimum age for contesting elections in India from 25 to 21.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Chadha, the youngest MP in the Upper House, highlighted the discrepancy between India's youthful population and its aging politicians. He noted that although around 65 percent of the population is under 35, and 50 percent is under 25, the representation of young people in Parliament has declined.
After Independence, 26 percent of Lok Sabha members were under 40, but in the recently elected 17th Lok Sabha, only 12 percent are under 40.
"We are a young country with old politicians, we must aspire to be a young country with young politicians," Raghav Chadha said in the Rajya Sabha.
As the 35-year-old began his speech on the issue, a lighthearted exchange occurred between him and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. The Chairman jokingly asked the AAP MP if he had wanted to enter Parliament at an even younger age.
With a laugh, Chadha replied. "I'll tell you, sir. The issue is close to my heart... India, with an average age of 29 years, is one of the youngest countries in the world. In our country, 65% of the population is less than 35 years old and over 50% is less than 25 years old. But are our politicians and elected representatives as young?”
"Nobody says that you become a politician or join politics. We need to incentivise the youth so that they are interested in joining politics. If people can vote at 18 years to elect a new government, one can also contest elections at 21 years," he further added.
Chadha's proposal aimed to rejuvenate the political landscape and ensure that the legislative bodies are more reflective of the country's demographic makeup. This move is part of a broader discussion on electoral reforms and youth participation in governance.