Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on the campaign trail that the BJP would put an end to religion-based reservation if voted to power in Telugu states. Like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh also provides a 4% quota to some Muslim communities under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in education and jobs.
TDP, which is in alliance with TDP in Andhra Pradesh, is making every effort to keep its identity with regard to welfare of Muslims, besides being with BJP. Several times, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu asserted that as long as he is alive, he will not act against the interests of Muslims.
Chandrababu Naidu said at a rally in Rayachoti in Annamayya district on Friday that his party would preserve the 4% reservation for Muslims if elected to power. This came as the social media handles of the Y S Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), the ruling party in Andhra, circulated the videos of the BJP leaders’ speeches.
Naidu is recalling that during earlier periods of TDP alliance with BJP during both Vajpayee and Modi regimes at the Center, the TDP government in the state had never compromised on Muslims interests.
In this regard, TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh has given further clarity. In an interview, he asserted that “we are also engaging with people and explaining that BJP’s stand against religion-based quota is only if the party comes to power on its own and not if it is in an alliance”.
He said that Chandrababu Naidu has always maintained that socially and economically backward communities, irrespective of religion or caste, should get benefits. “The TDP will only give, we will never take anything away from anyone. The TDP made minority welfare a priority decades ago so there is no question of removing the Muslim quota”, he added.
