The spectre of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy continues to haunt Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu prompting him to look for legal protection for his flagship project, Amaravati capital city, through legislation.

Even though Reddy was far away from the stage shared by Naidu with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he weighed heavy like Banquo’s ghost on the minds of those on the dais. It was evident from their speeches. IT and Education Minister Nara Lokesh said no one dared to stop Modi from what had started. Even the prime minister said “all previous obstacles have been removed” while pointing out that the Centre has always supported the Amaravati capital city project ever since it was envisioned by Naidu ten years ago.

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After coming to power in 2019, Reddy promptly abandoned the capital city project citing dearth of funds. Instead, he used the funds for welfare schemes like pensions. The loan from the World Bank was cancelled by the state government under the YSRCP insinuating that it was willing to walk away from the capital city project. Even plots of land pooled from farmers by the previous TDP government for the greenfield capital were given away to the economically weaker section.

Finally, Reddy mooted the concept of three separate capitals in each of the regions of the state. He did not budge even when the high court ordered him to build Amaravati. Meanwhile, the pooled land was overgrown with weeds, while incomplete buildings dotted Amaravati, which became a ghost town. It was a nightmare for Naidu to see his dreams overturned and his flagship project biting the dust the moment he lost power.

Now, the chief minister is not only keen to ensure that the construction of the core capital city is completed in the next three years, well within his tenure as chief minister, but also to bring legislation to ensure that the project is overturned at the whims and fancies of an individual. He wants an amendment to the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, which had designated Hyderabad as the joint capital for ten years.

The TDP wants either Amaravati as part of the Reorganisation Act through an amendment, or a new legislation to be drawn up and passed by Parliament to offer the new capital city the much-required legal backing. When a veteran politician like Naidu publicly declared before Narendra Modi, “I need your blessings”, it was not only to seek the guarantee for a steady flow of funds but also to ensure that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy does not mess with his dream, again.