"Have more kids": Chandrababu Naidu mulls new election law to boost population

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's is apparently considering a new election law that only allows candidates to contest local elections if they have more than two children.

He hopes to address demographic concerns by encouraging families to have more children and boost the population growth rate of the state. His plan is to push the state to grow a larger 'native' workforce and consumer base.

However, it raises questions around sustainable population growth and reproductive rights and healthcare as well.

While addressing a gathering in Amaravati, Naidu's emphasis on viewing the state's population as an asset rather than a burden aimed for a significant shift in perspective on Indian demographics in general.

By urging families to have more than two children — the 'hum do, humare do' national policy since 1967 — he aims to harness the potential of a growing population to drive economic growth and maintain a demographic dividend beyond 2047, when the elderly population is projected to outnumber the younger generations.

The average age of the Andhra population is indeed inching upwards — currently 32, it is expected to reach 40 by 2047. Which is not quite dire, but Naidu seems determined to keep it youthful — and the senior citizens outnumbered by a more 'productive' age.

By claiming that "the need of that time was different", Naidu also seeks to position himself as a leader responsive to evolving challenges and opportunities. This could resonate with voters who prioritise economic growth and development.

Naidu's comments on the current population growth deficit and the potential risks of an aging population also reflect a growing concern among policy makers about the state's demographic trends.

By highlighting a 0.4 per cent demographic deficit and an average growth rate of 1.6 per cent, he underscores the urgency of addressing population dynamics to avoid an 'ageing population' crisis such as those seen in some European nations, China and Japan, where the lack of caregivers and productive citizens amidst a preponderance of senior citizens has presented new challenges.

Naidu's repeated calls for families in South India to have more children, including his comments during the grama sabha in Konaseema, reflect a consistent strategy to address these demographic fears.

On 7 August, the Andhra cabinet had already reversed an earlier legislation that barred candidates with more than two children from contesting.

“I was staunchly in favour of population control once upon a time, and brought in legislation barring persons having more than two children from contesting elections," Naidu recalled. "I was afraid that a huge population would cause shortages of water, land, and other resources."

"You listened to me and brought down the population in Andhra Pradesh in just 10 years. Now, I am afraid that we won’t have enough young population in our state,” Naidu said.

However, this latest proposal to introduce legislation in the opposite direction — which restricts candidates with fewer children from running for office — seems likely to kindle considerable debate, departing as it does from national healthcare and women and children's welfare policies.

What it also fails to address is the chief minister's own admitted concerns around the exodus of youth to other states and countries.

Will his — or the NDA's — vision of 'development' seem sustainable enough to hold them back, even if their numbers grow larger?