Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday said that he firmly backs the idea of providing four per cent reservation to the Muslim community.
During an election rally in Kurnool, Reddy took a jibe at Chandrababu Naidu and said, “On one hand, Chandrababu Naidu continues to join hands with the BJP which stands on removing the 4 per cent Muslim reservation, on the other hand, to seek minority votes, he comes up with new drama. Have you witnessed a chameleon-like Chandrababu Naidu?”
“Come what may, 4 per cent of Muslim reservations will remain and that is YSR Congress Party’s final word on it! My only question to Chandrababu Naidu is why does he continue the alliance with the NDA even after the NDA government pledges to cancel the 4% reservation?” Jagan Mohan Reddy added, ANI reported.
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Muslims have had 4 per cent reservations in education and employment under the Other Backward Classes category in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh since 2007 when the two states were united. However, this quota is being implemented not by cutting into the existing quota of the OBCs, but under a separate category of OBCs, called BC-E.
Reddy assured the community that the state government will continue with its ongoing reservation for the minority community.
He further added, “In the next 4 days, the battle of Kurukshetra is set to take place. This election is not to elect MLAs and MPs, this election will decide the future of ongoing schemes and the development of every household. If you vote for Chandrababu Naidu, you are stopping all the welfare that this government has brought to the doorstep of the household.”
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Andhra Pradesh will be voting on 26 Lok Sabha seats and 175 Assembly seats during the fourth phase of elections on May 13. Results will be declared on June 4.