No question of removing Muslim quota … BJP stand only if it comes to power on its own, not in an alliance: N Lokesh Naidu

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying on the campaign trail that the BJP would put an end to religion-based reservation if voted to power in Telangana, its Andhra Pradesh ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is in a pickle. Like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh also provides a 4% quota to some Muslim communities under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in education and jobs.

On Friday, TDP supremo and former Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said at a rally in Rayachoti in Annamayya district that the party would preserve the 4% reservation for Muslims if elected to power. This came as the social media handles of the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), the ruling party in Andhra, circulated the videos of the BJP leaders’ speeches.

In an interview, TDP general secretary and Chandrababu Naidu’s son N Lokesh Naidu speaks about why his party needs to be “secular”, why the reservation statements are not the combined stand of the alliance, and how the battle in Andhra Pradesh is shaping up. Lokesh lost the Assembly polls from Mangalagiri five years ago by 1.03 lakh votes and is contesting again this time.

Excerpts:

The TDP has always been and will remain a secular party. No one’s quota will be taken away by us. No one should be worried about that.

Chandrababu Naidu has always maintained that socially and economically backward communities, irrespective of religion or caste, should get benefits. The TDP will only give, we will never take anything away from anyone. The TDP made minority welfare a priority decades ago so there is no question of removing the Muslim quota. There are a lot of fake videos doing the rounds (referring to the doctored videos of Amit Shah), but I am sure