Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national working president Nara Lokesh on Wednesday proposed that the party reserve 33 per cent of its election tickets for women candidates in the 2029 Assembly elections, making the announcement at Mahanadu, the party's annual conclave held at its central office in Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh. The proposal, described as the first of its kind by any political party in India, was delivered in Lokesh's maiden address at Mahanadu as national working president.

The Proposal and What It Covers

Lokesh was unequivocal that the commitment would hold regardless of the fate of the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament. 'Women must not remain mere beneficiaries in politics. They must become decision-makers and leaders shaping India's future. TDP will lead from the front. This is not a slogan — it is our commitment,' he said at the conclave.

The proposal is expected to be formally adopted by Mahanadu following a debate among delegates. This year's conclave is themed around 'Stree Shakti', and the announcement is being widely read as a substantive ideological pivot toward women-led governance rather than symbolic outreach.

Organisational Steps Already Taken

The proposal does not stand in isolation. The TDP recently appointed MP Byreddy Shabari as its first woman National General Secretary — a structural change within the party organisation that observers say signals a sustained rather than one-off commitment to women's representation.

Lokesh, who also serves as a state minister and is the son of TDP national president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, said the party has consistently worked on women's empowerment across sectors, citing changes in education policy and repeated advocacy for women's dignity in political spaces.

The Political Context

Lokesh positioned the TDP's move against the backdrop of the national debate on the Women's Reservation Bill, asserting that opposition parties had attempted to obstruct women's empowerment by resisting the legislation. He credited the NDA government with taking a historic step in bringing the bill forward, and stressed that women must graduate from being welfare recipients to active policymakers.

This comes amid a broader national conversation about women's political representation, with India ranking among the lower tiers globally for female legislators. Notably, the TDP's pledge — if implemented — would exceed the 33 per cent reservation threshold proposed in the Women's Reservation Bill itself.

Mahanadu: Format and Attendance

The two-day Mahanadu opened with an address by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. TDP state president Palla Srinivasa Rao, politburo members, ministers, and senior party leaders are attending in what Lokesh described as a hybrid format — both offline and online — in keeping with the Prime Minister's guidance on outreach. 'Whether offline or online... Mahanadu is always a massive gathering. Ours is always the policy of Nation First,' Lokesh said.

The party's resolve will face its real test when candidate selection begins ahead of 2029 — a timeline that gives the TDP roughly four years to institutionalise the commitment before the electorate holds it to account.