While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has categorically stated that he will not give reservation to Muslims based on religion, contradicting his stance, his ally, Chandrababu Naidu, from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has promised to preserve the 4 % reservation for the Muslims under the OBC category in Andhra Pradesh – leading to a confusion among the voters. The TDP, BJP and Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party are in alliance in the state.
Acknowledging this, Chandrababu Naidu on May 2, reiterated the promise to preserve Muslim reservation under the OBC category. “We will preserve 4 percent reservation for Muslims and provide Rs 5,000 in financial assistance every month for mosque maintenance in the state,” Naidu said. He was speaking at the Praja Galam meeting in Guntur. In Andhra Pradesh, Muslim from communities like Dudekula, Laddaf, Pinjari/ Noorbash, and Mehtar are included in the OBC list.
Besides the reservation, the TDP has promised to offer financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to Muslims for undertaking the Haj Yatra and provide Rs 5 lakh interest-free loans through the minority finance corporation. The TDP chief also promised to construct the Noor Basha Corporation and allocate Rs 100 crore annually for the community.
However, curiously, the ‘united manifesto’ released by the TDP, JSP and BJP on May 1, did not find a mention of the promise to preserve 4 % reservation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier declared that he would not allow Muslims to “eat into” the reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs. Addressing the BJP meeting in Telangana, the Modi said, “As long as Modi is alive, I will not let reservations of Dalits, Adivasis, OBC to be given to Muslims on the basis of religion.”
Speaking about the Muslim reservation not being mentioned in the ‘united manifesto’, TDP spokesperson K Pattabhi Ram said, “The Muslim reservation was not mentioned in the ‘united manifesto’ because it is not a poll issue and the 4 % reservation is already there.” The TDP has not responded to the BJP’s stance against the reservation to Muslims.
In Andhra Pradesh Muslims constitute for about 9.5% of the population as per the 2011 census.
Naidu had earlier accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of spreading “false propaganda” against the TDP regarding their position on the Muslim reservation and questioned their credentials in safeguarding the rights of Muslims.
“The YSRCP which pledged support to the NRC and the CAA bills in the Parliament is now crying foul after the TDP forged an alliance with the BJP. In fact V Vijayasai Reddy who is now contesting from the YSRCP in Nellore parliament seat signed and pledged support to the Centre for these two bills,” Naidu said attacking the YSRCP.
Meanwhile, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has slammed the TDP and JSP for allying with the BJP. Offering his support to the YSRCP, Owaisi said that the Muslim reservation in the Telugu speaking states – Telangana and Andhra Pradesh – was not given on the basis of religion but on socio-economic status. He expressed confidence that the Muslim reservation would continue under the Jagan-led YSRCP government.
In the neighboring state of Karnataka, the BJP government in March 2023, eliminated the 4% reservation for Muslims under the backward class category "2B" and transferred them to the 10% quota pool for the economically weaker sections (EWS) in the general category. The BJP has been accusing the Congress party of “snatching” the reservation of OBCs and giving it to the Muslims.
Andhra Pradesh will go to polls on May 13. As part of the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance, out of the 175 seats, TDP will contest in 144 seats, JSP in 21, and the BJP in 10 seats in the Assembly elections. For the Parliamentary elections, the TDP will contest in 17 seats, BJP in six, and the JSP in two.