TDP-YSRCP engage in wordy duel over Amaravati as capital

Amaravati: The ruling TDP and the Opposition YSRCP are crossing swords over the resolution adopted in the State Legislative Assembly for according legal sanctity to Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh even as the Centre has come forward to table AP Reorganisation Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament on Wednesday.

The adoption of the resolution unanimously on Saturday in the absence of YSRCP MLAs and MLCs has drawn severe condemnation from the treasury benches. YSRCP leaders including Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Botcha Satyanarayana and others lambasted the Opposition party, for what they termed for not learning a lesson despite winning just 11 MLA seats in 2024 elections and poking fun at the resolution making Amaravati as the capital of AP by amending the Reorganization Act, 2014.

YSRCP leaders including Dhrmana Prasada Rao went to the extent of saying that people were the ultimate judges to decide which place should be the capital and described how AP capital shifted from Madras to Kurnool and later Hyderabad.

Botcha said Amaraati has led to borrowing of loans worth Rs47,000 crore and there is no requirement to create so much hype over a capital city on the banks of a highly fertile catchment area. YSRCP had broached the formation of three capitals when it was in power with the Cabinet decision to make Visakhapatnam the executive capital. "They have been shown their place for their three capital planks at the hustings," Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development P Narayana, said ridiculing the stand of YSRCP on the resolution adopted in the Assembly.

Coming down heavily on the stand taken by YSRCP and their decision to abstain from the special session of Assembly, IT, Electronics and Education Minister Nara Lokesh said "the special session is not an ordinary day just to pass a resolution but a historic moment for Andhra Pradesh." Earlier, Lokesh took to X to say: "#Amaravati is not just being imagined -- it is being built. Roads are taking shape across the capital region, with underground cabling and modern drainage systems progressing in parallel.

No patchwork. No temporary fixes. Only world-class, future-ready infrastructure. This is how great cities are built- - layer by layer, with planning and precision. Amaravati’s rapid progress reflects our commitment to creating a capital that is resilient, sustainable, and globally competitive."