Nara Lokesh, the TDP general secretary and son of party leader Nara Chandrababu Naidu, emphasized that a nation or state cannot progress if a section of its society lives in poverty. On Friday, Lokesh reaffirmed his party’s commitment to maintaining the 4 percent reservation for the Muslim community under the OBC list. This statement comes in response to criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This NDA ally has opposed reservations based on religious grounds in states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
Lokesh stated that the reservation decision was made to uplift under-represented communities and not for political appeasement. “The decision to grant 4 percent reservation to Muslims was taken with the perspective of addressing inequality, not to appease anyone or gain political advantages,” he told TOI.
The TDP’s impressive performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections has positioned N Chandrababu Naidu as a key player in national politics. With 16 seats, Naidu’s support is crucial for Narendra Modi and the BJP, which won 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 maintain power.
