I’m inspired by how PM Modi is working for 2029: Chandrababu Naidu at HTLS
Naidu said India has to move towards population management since the country was heading towards a population decline, which could have dangerous implications
Narendra Modi has already “planned” for the next general elections, slated for 2029, said Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in a rare comment on the Prime Minister’s style of politics and the lessons he has learnt from him.
“He (Modi) is always working for the next election. He has already planned it and working closely with his allies in the interest of the nation…. That’s how he is working, in a mission mode,” Naidu said at the 2024 HT Leadership Summit on Saturday.
Naidu, the leader of the Telugu Desam Party, whose support is crucial for the Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) alliance government since the Bharatiya Janata Party does not have a majority on its own, said his approach was not to “influence” the Centre on decision-making, but work in collaboration with it. “When the Prime Minister shares great ideas with his allies, not only will we work with him, we will strengthen them.”
Naidu, who was in conversation with HT’s national political editor Sunetra Choudhury, also praised Modi for “respecting” his political partners’ views. “He is a strong leader, modern and progressive in outlook. You see, after the swearing-in ceremony, we were told we can go. Then we were informed that he will meet all NDA chief ministers. Then he conducted a four-hour uninterrupted meeting.”
The veteran politician said in his earlier years as a politician, he primarily focused on governance and policies, but he had realised that it was also necessary to reach out to people more directly and to carry them with him – something which he has now imbibed from Modi. “That is what he (Modi) is doing. He (Modi) is carrying people with him. You have to carry the people with you,” Naidu said.
Asked about what it felt like to be part of the ruling coalition alliance under Modi, the TDP leader said the Prime Minister listened to everybody. “That is the leadership he has provided.”
He started in 1995 as CM of undivided Andhra Pradesh, four years after the country undertook major economic reforms in 1991. “So, I implemented all those policies. There were lot of problems, including financial problems. I was able to cover up all of that,” he said.
Naidu’s TDP has played crucial role in national politics over the years, having been previously part of the United Front government, a 13-party formation that came to power after the fractious 1996 general elections. The alliance formed two governments between 1996 and 1998. Naidu even served as the convener of the political formation.
A four-term chief minister, he is known for ushering in an information technology revolution in his state by adopting policies to promote the sector in the 2000s, giving the country an early advantage.
The TDP leader said he was put in prison purely due to political reasons, but he had come out stronger.
“I have implemented so many public policies. Nobody has been able to point out anything about me. Without any reason, they arrested me and gave me notice. I didn’t commit any mistake. So, I was determined, strong and bold.”
Naidu said India, especially the southern states, were heading towards a population decline, which could have dangerous consequences.
The Andhra Pradesh chief minister has publicly called the people of his state to have more than two children. He said he was planning to provide incentives to families who bear more than two offspring.
“India has to move towards population management. South India has an aging problem. India’s fertility rate in 1991 was 5.2 or 5.4. Now we are at 2.5. We are just on the borderline. If we go below 2.5, population will not grow. That will be a great danger for humanity,” Naidu said.
Citing the economic impacts of Japan’s declining population, he said there was a time when his government provided incentives for family planning, implying that the demographic situation was fast changing.
India is still relatively a young country, which offers the nation a demographic dividend, which refers to the economic advantage that comes with having a large working-age population. However, that advantage is set to peak around 2035-40, with longer lifespans and a growing elderly population, according to some experts. Higher income states in the south are witnessing a shrinking population trend.
Naidu, known for his penchant for harnessing technologies in public policy, said his government was now working to usher in “WhatsApp governance to reach the last mile”.
“We will need to use deep tech. Data is wealth. We have to take deep dive. AI can help us achieve real solution is areas like agriculture, veterinary and health,” he said.
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