Chandrababu Naidu vs Jagan Reddy: Why Andhra Is Witnessing Political Standoff Over Amravati As State Capital | Explained

Andhra Politics: The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, paving the way for declaring Amaravati as the sole capital of the state. As per the amendment, a phrase "Amaravati shall be the new capital" will be added, aligning with the vision of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP. However, YSRCP chief and former Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy, on numerous occasions, has opposed the idea of a single capital.

Earlier, on March 28, the Andhra Pradesh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to declare Amaravati as the capital of the state. The issue has been the centre of Andhra's politics for the past decade following the formation of Telangana as a separate state. The original act of 2014 stated that Hyderabad shall remain the capital of both states for the next ten years.

The act asserted that Hyderabad will remain the capital of Telangana, while there shall be a new capital for Andhra. The then chief minister, Chandrababu Naidu, proposed the idea of a world-class Amaravati for the capital city. The TDP government acquired around 50,000 acres from farmers through land pooling.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for the capital city back in 2015; however, the Reddy changed the course of the project when he came to power in 2019. The YSRCP chief proposed to make Amaravati the legislative capital, Visakhapatnam as the executive capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital.

However, with Naidu back in power, Amaravati is again set to become the sole capital of the southern state. Reddy, while opposing the bill, alleged that the chief minister was trying to hide his corruption through this mega project. "The Centre officially told the High Court that choosing a capital is entirely the right of the state government. If that is true for every other state, why is Andhra Pradesh being treated differently" he told the reporters.

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"Naidu promised the world's best capital. But even basic infrastructure like roads, power, water, and drainage for the first 50,000 acres would cost nearly Rs 1 lakh crore. Now the master plan has suddenly been expanded by another 50,000 acres, adding another Rs 1 lakh crore burden," he added.

With an amendment in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, despite strong opposition from the YSRCP, Amaravati is set to become the sole capital city of Andhra Pradesh.