With TDP backing 4% Muslim quota in Andhra Pradesh, BJP forced to walk back on promise?

Even as the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prepares to form the government at the Centre, allies don't agree on all policies and proposals of the saffron party.

The biggest point of contention is the 4 per cent reservation provided to Muslims in states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Scrapping the Muslim quota and redistributing it among Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) was a key poll promise of the BJP. 

In 2023, the BJP government in Karnataka scrapped the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims, and redistributed it among Vokkaligas and Lingayats. Its next target was supposed to be Andhra Pradesh, despite opposition from ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

But the balance of power has shifted after Chandrababu Naidu's party swept the Assembly elections. TDP also has 16 seats in the Lok Sabha, making it the second largest party in the NDA, and crucial to government formation at the Centre. 

In the run-up to the oath-taking ceremony, Naidu's son Nara Lokesh ruled out removing the Muslim quota in Andhra Pradesh. In an interview with NDTV he said, "It (reservation for Muslims) has been going around for the last two decades and we stand by it. We intend to continue it."

"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 added.

The silence from the BJP suggests the party has been forced to walk back on its promise in Andhra. The question is, what about other states?