Capital city no longer an issue in Andhra Pradesh
Ten years after its bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh still does not have a capital. But what’s more surprising is that the lack of capital has even ceased to be an issue in this election.
A massive rally was held, on Saturday, in Tirupati in support of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s move to establish three capitals in the state to decentralise the administration for the development of all three regions.
With a High Court order going against the state government and the agitation by Amaravati farmers the YSRCP Government tried to put up a show of strength with two massive rallies, one in Vizag and the other at Tirupati. The YSRCP aimed to prove that both north Andhra and Rayalaseema regions were in support of the three-capital plan of the state government.
The rally in Tirupati was held barely a fortnight after a similar rally in Visakhapatnam which is designated to be the state’s administrative capital under Reddy’s plan for decentralised growth. The rallies, attended by thousands, are aimed at refuting the criticism from Opposition parties which want the government to abide by the previous plan of a greenfield capital at Amaravati.
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The rally, Rayalaseema Atma Gourava Maha Pradarshana, though organised under the banner of non political Joint Action Committee, it was actually a YSRCP show.
Today’s rally began from the Krishnapuram police station to the municipal corporation office and was followed by a public meeting. A large number of students, youths, employees, civil society leaders and public representatives attended the rally. Tirupati MLA BhumanaKarunakar Reddy said the chief minister was committed to making Kurnool the judicial capital.
He called TDP chief N Chadrababu Naidu a “Rayalaseemadrohi” or betrayer of Rayalaseema region. He added that while Naidu has done nothing for the region, it is only the current chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy who can transform Rayalaseema into “Ratnaseema” or a gem.
The YSRCP remained unfazed by the high court’s ruling that the legislature has no powers to decide on the location of the capital or set up three separate capitals. It has moved Supreme Court to get the order vacated.
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