Days after Narendra Modi took oath for the third time as Prime Minister of India, ideological fault lines within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are becoming increasingly visible.
The coalition, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is facing challenges from within as its alliance partners advocate for Muslim reservation, opposed fervently by Modi-led government during the past two terms.
Days after Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP), now an important pillar of BJP-led NDA government, reiterated its promise to grant 4 per cent reservation to Muslims in Andhra Pradesh, National Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar (NCP) sought a reservation for Muslims in the state of Maharashtra.
NCP has voiced a fervent call for political reservation for Muslims, as reported by Deccan Herald.
Saleem Sarang, the party’s vice president, emphasized the glaring absence of Muslim representation in both state and central governments. “None of the big parties fielded any Muslim candidate. There is not a single Muslim MP from Maharashtra. There is not a single Muslim minister in the Narendra Modi government,” Sarang lamented.
Drawing parallels with the Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) decision to grant 4% reservation to Muslims in Andhra Pradesh, Sarang questioned the Maharashtra government’s reluctance to implement the 5% reservation for Muslims in education, which was sanctioned by the High Court.
He asserted, “Muslims vote, but they don’t get an opportunity to be voted! Is this a conspiracy to keep Muslims deliberately away from political leadership?”
Meanwhile, in Andhra Pradesh, the TDP, under the leadership of Nara Lokesh, reiterated its commitment to providing reservations for Muslims. Following the party’s electoral success, Nara Lokesh emphasized that the TDP’s stance on Muslim reservations is rooted in the pursuit of social justice, rather than appeasement.
Despite criticism from the BJP regarding reservations on religious grounds, the TDP remains steadfast in its support for minority communities. With N Chandrababu Naidu’s pivotal role as a ‘kingmaker’ in the Lok Sabha, the TDP’s alliance with the NDA becomes increasingly significant.