The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh has reiterated that it may consider supporting the uniform civil code (UCC) proposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) Union government.
“Supporting it is an option, but as of now, there has been no discussion on it. If we feel the need to pursue it, we will certainly look into it and consult all relevant stakeholders before taking any decision,” TDP Parliamentary party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu told TNM.
His statements come a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said all 21 National Democratic Alliance (NDA) states will implement UCC before 2029.
“Triple talaq has been abolished. We have introduced UCC in several states and I am confident that in 21 BJP-NDA government states, we will introduce UCC by 2029,” he said on September 14.
Apart from being in an alliance with the BJP and the Jana Sena in Andhra Pradesh, the TDP is also the BJP’s strongest ally in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with 16 MPs.
The UCC is broadly understood to codify and bring under one ambit all separate religious personal laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and succession.
However, the proposed legislation has come under fire for threatening religious freedom and minority rights by replacing community-specific personal laws.
Uttarakhand passed UCC in its state legislature in January 2025 and subsequently implemented it. The law has also been passed in Gujarat, Assam and Madhya Pradesh – three BJP-ruled states.