BJP ally TDP promises 4% Muslim reservation in Andhra

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday reiterated his stand of giving four per cent reservation to the Muslim community in the state.

"From the beginning, we are supporting a four per cent reservation for Muslims and that will continue," Chandrababu Naidu said while speaking to reporters in Dharmavaram.

The TDP chief's assertion comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an election rally in Telangana's Zaheerabad, said that he would not let the quotas of Dalits, Adivasis and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) be given to Muslims based on religion.

Chandrababu Naidu's TDP is a part of the NDA coalition formed in Andhra Pradesh to contest Lok Sabha elections against the ruling YSRCP led by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena is also a party of the NDA coalition.

However, the NDA partners' joint manifesto did not mention four per cent reservation for Muslims, as announced by Chandrababu Naidu two days prior to that. The former Chief Minister also said that there was an anti-YSR-Congress sentiment in Andhra Pradesh, claiming that his party is poised to win the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state.This southern state will go to polls on May 13 and the counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Last week, Chandrababu Naidu had also said that as soon as the alliance comes to power in Andhra Pradesh, financial aid of Rs 1 lakh will be extended to Muslim pilgrims who visit Mecca.