TDP's Nara Lokesh promises to continue 4% Muslim quota in Andhra Pradesh

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) general secretary and Chandrababu Naidu's son Nara Lokesh said the party is committed to continuing reservations provided to Muslims in Andhra Pradesh.

"It's a fact that minorities continue to suffer and have the lowest per capita income. As a government, it is my responsibility to bring them out of poverty. So whatever decisions I take are not for appeasement, but to bring them out of poverty," Lokesh said in an interview with NDTV.

"If you want to make our nation a developed nation, we cannot leave anyone behind. We should do it together and there is a great opportunity to do it. It has been the trademark of the TDP, to take everyone together," Lokesh added.

Remember, TDP's stance in stark contrast to that of NDA ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah had promised to scrap religion-based reservations, especially the 4% quota for Muslims in states like Andhra Pradesh.

"It (reservation for Muslims) has been going around for the last two decades and we stand by it. We intend to continue it," Lokesh said.

The comments come days after TDP swept the Assembly elections in the state, and with 16 seats in the Lok Sabha, became crucial to NDA government formation at the centre.

Modi government 3.0 will be sworn in on June 9, and TDP and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) are expected to get key Cabinet portfolios.

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