Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent assertion that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented by 2029 in all 21 states governed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has raised an important question: will Andhra Pradesh also move in that direction?
Of the 21 NDA-ruled states referred to, the BJP is directly in power in 17, while the remaining four are governed by alliance partners. Among the key allies are the Janata Dal (United) and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party.
This means the Centre and the BJP will have to take the positions of their allies into account before moving ahead with such a politically sensitive issue.
The JD(U), which had earlier supported a UCC-related Bill in Parliament, appears to have changed its stand following Shah’s latest statement. The party has now said that it will not allow the UCC to be implemented in Bihar.
According to political sources, the Centre could still explore other options in Bihar, but the JD(U)’s opposition has added a new layer of complexity to the issue.
Attention has now shifted to the TDP, another important NDA ally.
Interestingly, TDP Parliamentary Party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu told a national media outlet that the party supports the Uniform Civil Code in principle.
At the same time, he clarified that there had been no detailed discussion within the party on the issue so far. He said the matter would be considered when necessary and stressed that various sections of society would have to be consulted before any decision was taken on approving or implementing the UCC.
The latest comments are being seen as a shift from the TDP’s position before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
At that time, Naidu had indicated that the party would stand by the Muslim community on the UCC issue.
The changed political situation has therefore brought the TDP’s stand under fresh scrutiny.
With the party now indicating support for the UCC in principle, there is speculation that Naidu may not want to antagonise the BJP central leadership.
Political sources say the TDP chief may prefer to maintain a careful balance — avoiding a direct confrontation with the BJP while also trying not to alienate Muslim voters in Andhra Pradesh.
One possible way for the TDP to do that would be to continue saying that wider consultations with different sections of society are necessary before endorsing any specific UCC legislation or implementation framework.
For now, the TDP’s final position remains unclear. But its latest comments suggest that the party is keeping the door open to supporting the UCC, while also leaving room for further consultations.
