CM Chandrababu Naidu Urges People-Centric Policies, Says India Must Seize Next 20 Years

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has described the next 20 years as crucial for India's development, saying the country must make the most of this opportunity. He expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the right leader to steer the nation through this important period, adding that public welfare and development had become the primary focus of politics.

Speaking at a fireside chat on the second day of the CII Partnership Summit, moderated by senior journalist and India Global Review founder Palki Sharma, Naidu shared his views on population trends, political alliances, electoral reforms, governance and emerging challenges.

Discussing India's demographic dividend, Naidu said his views on population policy had changed over time. While he had earlier advocated having only one or two children, he now believed that encouraging families to have two or more children deserved consideration in view of changing demographic trends worldwide. However, he acknowledged that implementing such a policy would be difficult. He said he would continue expressing ideas that could benefit society in the long run, even if they were challenging to implement.

On political ideologies and alliances, Naidu observed that Indian politics had undergone a significant transformation since 1991. Earlier, political debates revolved around left-wing and right-wing ideologies, but development and public welfare have now emerged as the main political agenda, he said.

Defending the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Chief Minister said voter lists needed comprehensive revision every 20 to 25 years. He claimed that Andhra Pradesh had received no complaints about missing votes and urged political parties to use their grassroots networks to ensure that every eligible voter remained on the electoral roll. He cautioned against making political allegations without verifying the facts.

Emphasising leadership, Naidu said politicians must maintain continuous engagement with people and consider feedback from different sections of society before making decisions. He admitted that he had faced difficulties in the past because of an imbalance between political priorities and administration but said his government was now working to maintain better coordination.

He also described the alliance involving the TDP, Jana Sena and BJP as cooperative and said the government was addressing various challenges. These included potential economic consequences of an Iran-Israel conflict, cyclones and El Niño-related disruptions.

Reiterating his government's commitment to social security, Naidu said women's safety was a top priority and warned that strict action would be taken against those who harass or mistreat women.