Will Congress walk the Gen Z talk in Telangana?

• Revanth backs lowering poll age to 21

• Special Assembly session proposed

• MLC candidate hunt already underway

• Young aspirants eye Graduate MLC seats

• Party weighs youth against experience

• MLC polls seen as crucial before Assembly elections

Hyderabad: Telangana Congress leaders, from the top leadership to the state unit, have been championing the cause of Gen Z. However, the key question is whether the party will translate its rhetoric into action by fielding Gen Z candidates in the upcoming elections, particularly the Graduate MLC elections, especially after the recent success of the ‘Gen Z’ movement at Jantar Mantar.

Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud have consistently praised the success of the Gen Z (CJP) movement at Jantar Mantar.

Going a step further, Mahesh Kumar Goud proposed that the Chief Minister take the initiative to lower the minimum age for contesting Assembly and Lok Sabha elections to 21 years.

Responding to the proposal, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced that the State government would convene a special session of the Telangana Assembly to pass a resolution seeking an amendment to the law. The resolution would then be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for consideration.

The Chief Minister has repeatedly maintained that greater participation of youth in legislative bodies would bring fresh ideas and meaningful change, describing young people as the future of the nation.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Congress has already begun the process of identifying candidates for the two Graduate MLC constituencies, even though the terms of the sitting MLCs will expire only in March 2027. However, the party has not initiated any discussion on the ZPTC, MPTC, or municipal elections, which are also due.

Sources said TPCC Media Committee chairman Sama Rammohan Reddy, former GHMC Mayor Bonthu Rammohan, SATG chairman Shivasena Reddy and Harshavardhan Reddy are among the aspirants for the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar Graduate MLC seat. Among them, Sama Rammohan Reddy and Shivasena Reddy are relatively younger than the other contenders.

For the Nalgonda-Khammam-Warangal Graduate MLC constituency Patel Ramesh Reddy, Dommati Sambaiah, Namindla Srinivas, Lokesh Yadav, Gutha Amith, and Indira are reportedly in the race. Of these, Gutha Amith and Lokesh Yadav are among the younger aspirants.

The Congress is attaching considerable importance to the Graduate MLC elections, believing that victories in both constituencies would strengthen the party’s prospects ahead of the next Assembly elections.

The focus is now on whether the party will back its Gen Z narrative by giving tickets to younger candidates or continue with its traditional selection criteria, including factors such as social justice, caste representation and political experience.