Chandrababu Naidu calls for probe into alleged forced religious conversions in Agency areas

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has called for a detailed examination of alleged forced religious conversions and possible inducements to voters in the State's Agency areas, following the NDA's disappointing performance in some tribal constituencies in the recent local body elections.

Addressing a press conference in Amaravati on Monday, Naidu said he had earlier raised concerns about alleged forced religious conversions in the Agency region and maintained that the issue required closer scrutiny in the wake of the election results.

“I had earlier said that forced religious conversions were taking place there. Some people say that conversions themselves influenced the election results. We need to study the facts. We will analyse what inducements the voters in the Agency areas may have been subjected to,” he said.

The Chief Minister's remarks came against the backdrop of the NDA's sweeping performance across much of Andhra Pradesh, while the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) retained a significant presence in certain tribal districts. In Alluri Sitharama Raju district, the YSRCP won seven of the 11 ZPTC seats, while the TDP secured three and the CPI(M) won one. In Polavaram district, the YSRCP secured five of the 12 ZPTC seats.

Naidu expressed concern over the electoral outcome in the Agency areas despite what he described as the government's development initiatives for tribal communities. He said the government would examine whether voters had been influenced through inducements and whether allegations of forced religious conversions had any bearing on the political outcome.

The issue has acquired political significance as the ruling NDA seeks to consolidate its position in the tribal belt, where the YSRCP has managed to retain pockets of support despite the alliance's overall electoral dominance.

The Chief Minister's statement, however, was a call to investigate the allegations and establish the facts. No evidence was presented in his remarks to establish that religious conversions or inducements had determined the voting behaviour of tribal communities.

Naidu said the government would undertake a detailed analysis of the circumstances and examine the factors behind the voting pattern in the Agency areas.

The remarks are likely to intensify the political debate over religious conversions, tribal welfare and electoral influence in Andhra Pradesh's Scheduled Areas. Any examination of the issue will also need to distinguish between allegations of coercion and the constitutional right of individuals to freely choose and practise their religion.