VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu strongly backed the announcement made by the party to provide 33 percent reservation for women in legislatures and said its implementation, along with constituency delimitation, could bring significant changes to Indian politics.
In an informal interaction with mediapersons at the TDP central office in Mangalagiri on Saturday, Naidu said the TDP’s decision to give 33 percent reservation for women has the potential to become a major national political issue. He expressed confidence that all political parties would eventually support the proposal.
The Chief Minister said the TDP has consistently championed women’s empowerment and argued that increasing the number of legislative seats by 50 percent would address concerns arising from population-based representation. He maintained that such an expansion would not adversely affect any region or group and would create opportunities to reserve additional seats for women.
Naidu also called for the Women’s Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill to be implemented together, saying the two measures should not be viewed separately. According to him, the Centre is committed to moving forward with both initiatives as they will ensure transformative reforms for the country’s political landscape.
During the interaction, the Chief Minister also launched a sharp attack on YSRCP President and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Naidu observed that Jagan was getting frustrated for calling his party the ‘Goddali party’.
Stating that he is also unaware of some of the atrocities committed by the YS family, Naidu said all the facts are coming out now. Referring to the murder case of former minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy, Naidu said the struggle led by Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Y S Sunitha was rooted in a quest for justice. He said she had every right to seek answers regarding her father’s murder and asserted that her efforts had helped keep the case in the public domain.
The Chief Minister alleged that politics based on violence has no place in a democratic system and said younger generations are becoming increasingly aware of such practices. He maintained that democratic politics must be guided by justice, accountability and public participation rather than intimidation or violence.