'Have 2+ kids...': Chandrababu Naidu's condition for future poll candidates
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has urged families in the state to have at least two or more children to increase the birth rate. He also announced plans for a law that would allow only individuals with two or more children to contest in local body elections. The chief minister expressed concerns over Andhra Pradesh's aging population and falling growth rate, which has dropped to 1.6% compared to India's average of 2.1% in 2021.
Naidu warns of demographic challenges in Andhra Pradesh
"The growth rate in the state should increase. Everyone should think about this, and families should aim to have at least two or more children," the news agency quoted him as saying. "In the past, I advocated for population control, but now we need to increase the birth rate for the future...State Government is planning to bring a law allowing only people with two or more children to contest local body elections," he added.
Naidu's policy shift receives mixed political reactions
This isn't the first instance where Naidu has advocated for a change in family planning policies. In his earlier term as CM, he introduced incentives aimed at encouraging couples to have more children. Earlier, Naidu had said that by 2047, Andhra could have more elderly people than young ones. He cited examples from China, Japan and European countries where similar demographic challenges are occurring. "Having fewer than two children leads to the rapid decline of...young population," he had said.
Political reactions to Naidu's comments
Naidu's comments have sparked political reactions. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "First to reach replacement levels of fertility was Kerala in 1988, followed by Tamil Nadu in 1993, Andhra Pradesh in 2001 and Karnataka in 2005. However, there have been concerns voiced for quite some time now that these successes could end up reducing the political representation of these states in Parliament."
'Good step...': BJP's Vijayvargiya
Bharatiya Janata Party Kailash Vijayvargiya supported Naidu's comments. "The country needs a lot of changes, and if Chandrababu Naidu does something like this, I believe this is a good step towards improvement," Vijayvargiya added.
