Lower age for contesting polls should be 18: Jharkhand speaker

Ranchi: Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Dinesh Oraon on Tuesday stressed on the need for effective participation of youth in the governance process and said the age for contesting elections should be lowered from 25 to 18.

The speaker, who had visited Dhaka early this month to attend the 63rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference, said he had suggested the participating countries there to lower age for contesting polls to 18 as was the case in Australia and Canada.

"Voting right is given at the age of 18 years while the right to contest elections comes at 25. The youth should actually be allowed to contest elections at 18," Oraon said at a press meet at the assembly secretariat.

He said the energy and enthusiasm seen in the youth fades as they go running after jobs.

Oraon, however, asserted that it is necessary to impose an age limit for politicians.

Talking about his participation in the Dhaka conference, the speaker said he had discussed two issues at the conference --- youth participation in the decision-making processes of the government and climate change.