Have 2 or less kids? Chandrababu Naidu says will bar netas from contesting local polls in Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu (PTI photo)

Barely a couple of months after the Andhra Pradesh assembly repealed a three-decade-old law that barred individuals with more than two children from contesting local body elections, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that he is working on a proposal to allow only those with more than two children to contest municipal and panchayat elections.

Last year, the Andhra CM emphasised the importance of offering incentives to families with more children. For the past decade, he has been advocating for Telugus to have larger families to address the issue of an aging population.

Following Naidu’s statement, which stirred a nationwide debate, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin also echoed his views and urged people to have more children.

"We previously had legislation that allowed only people with no more than two children to contest in local body and civic body elections," Naidu said at his native Naravaripalle village near Tirupati on Tuesday, while celebrating Sankranti with his family and relatives.

"Now, I say that those with fewer children will not be allowed to contest elections. In the future, you will become a sarpanch, municipal councillor, or mayor only if you have more than two children. I am going to include this in the proposed rules," he said.

As reported by the Times of India, Naidu stated that he plans to incentivise families with more children, including allowing them to contest panchayat and municipal elections. He also mentioned working on a proposal to provide additional subsidized rice to families with more children.

Currently, there is a cap of 25 kg of subsidised rice per family, with each member receiving 5 kg.

The two-child policy has been adhered to by all South Indian states, as evident from the total fertility rate (TFR) of these states, which is 1.73, below the national average of 2.1.

With a TFR of 2.4, the five big heartland states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand have a higher rate than the national average.

Naidu said that Japan, Korea, and many European countries had incentivized family planning policies, as their total fertility rates are abysmally low. These countries are battling aging population concerns today and have been inviting Indians to move there.

"This should serve as a wake-up call for India as well," Naidu said, adding, “We have been encouraging family planning and limiting the number of children families can have. A few years down the line, India will also face concerns about an aging population."

He added, "If we don't address this now, we will be left with very little to do when the situation arises. However, if we implement the right policies, India could benefit greatly from demographic dividends by 2047."