Nara Lokesh: Son of party chief N Chandrababu Naidu, Nara Lokesh, the general secretary of the TDP, stated on Friday that his party is dedicated to keeping the 4 percent reservation allotted to the Muslim community under the OBC list. The Bharatiya Janata Party, an ally of the TDP in the NDA, had criticized the governments of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka for granting religious reservations.
According to Nara Lokesh, a nation or state cannot progress if a segment of its population is impoverished. He stated that it is the government’s job to expose underrepresented communities to opportunities. He stated that the decision to grant Muslim reservations was not made to placate anyone.
The decision to allocate a 4 percent reservation for Muslims was made with that perspective in mind, not to appease anyone or gain political advantage, he told TOI.
The TDP’s outstanding performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections has elevated N Chandrababu Naidu to the position of proverbial kingmaker. With 16 seats in his kitty, Naidu’s backing for Narendra Modi is critical for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Bharatiya Janata Party secured 240 Lok Sabha seats, falling 32 short of the majority mark. For the first time since 2014, the BJP will need to rely on its allies, primarily the TDP and JD(U), to stay in power.
The INDIA bloc won 234 seats, completing a spectacular return after being written off by pollsters.
PTI was informed by Nara Lokesh that his party would unwaveringly back Narendra Modi.
We joined the NDA without any conditions before the elections, and we will remain in the NDA without any conditions… We firmly believe that he (Modi) should be the Prime Minister of India, and there is no doubt about it, he stated.
However, he emphasized the importance of establishing “a mutually beneficial relationship” between Andhra Pradesh and the Centre.
Implying that the TDP would use its support as leverage to push for its demands, he mentioned that various issues such as Agniveer, Uniform Civil Code, reservations, budget allocations, and development could be negotiated at the table.
Also Read: Chandrababu Naidu
As reports suggest that the INDIA bloc might reach out to the TDP and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), N Chandrababu Naidu officially endorsed Narendra Modi for the formation of his third consecutive government. However, it is anticipated that the former Andhra chief minister will negotiate for cabinet positions and his party’s key agendas, including special status for the state, the Agniveer scheme, and other matters.
The TDP achieved a sweeping victory in the state’s assembly elections, conducted concurrently with the national elections.