From saga of struggles to the path of progress…Dogged by delays, Amaravati weathers many a storm to turn into capital of AP

After years of political disputes, legal battles, and protests by farmers, Amaravati has now been positioned as the incontrovertible capital of Andhra Pradesh. The uncertainty surrounding the capital officially ended with the Union government issuing a gazette notification on April 6, 2026, declaring Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh. With the issue now settled once and for all, construction work across the capital region is moving ahead quickly.

However, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy recently attempted to revive the debate by announcing that his party would contest the next elections with ‘Mavigun’ agenda, while opposing Amaravati. His remarks were strongly criticised by leaders of the ruling NDA alliance, who dismissed the comments as unrealistic. They argued that changing the capital’s composition from Amaravati to Mavigun would require Parliament’s approval, making it a difficult process. Meanwhile, the state government is continuing with its plan to complete all pending works on schedule.

Amaravati’s development remained uncertain between 2019 and 2024, after the YSRCP government proposed a three-capital model. Under this plan, Visakhapatnam was billed to serve as the executive capital, Amaravati as the legislative capital, and Kurnool as the judicial capital. The then state government said this would promote balanced regional development. However, the proposal stalled Amaravati’s progress, led to prolonged court cases, and triggered massive protests by thousands of farmers who had voluntarily given their land for the capital project.

This is the second time in history that Andhra has faced uncertainty over its capital, after the division of a state. The first instance occurred in 1953 when Andhra State was carved from the Madras Presidency, following a long movement for a separate Telugu-speaking state. Many leaders wanted Madras to remain with Andhra and become its capital. Even freedom-fighter Potti Sriramulu, whose sacrifice led to the formation of Andhra State, had demanded that Madras be included in Andhra.

After Potti Sriramulu’s death, the Government of India agreed to form linguistic states. Then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted the capital issue to be resolved before announcing the formation of Andhra State. Since political leaders failed to reach a consensus, the final decision was left to Tanguturi Prakasam, who selected Kurnool as the capital under the Sri Bagh Pact.

In 1956, Andhra State merged with the Telangana region of the erstwhile Hyderabad State to form Andhra Pradesh, with Hyderabad becoming the capital. Hyderabad continued as the state’s capital until the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

The division of the state once again left Andhra Pradesh without a permanent capital. Although the AP Reorganisation Act allowed Hyderabad to remain the joint capital of AP and Telangana for up to 10 years, it did not identify a permanent capital for the residual state, leaving that decision to the state government.

The Telugu Desam Party, after coming to power in 2014, with N Chandrababu Naidu as the Chief Minister, selected Amaravati as the new capital. More than 33,000 acres of land were voluntarily pooled by farmers for the project. The state government built the Secretariat, Assembly, and the High Court buildings while planning permanent infrastructure.

The project came to a standstill after the YSRCP assumed power in 2019 and introduced the three-capital proposal. Following the TDP-led NDA alliance’s victory in the 2024 Assembly elections, the Amaravati project was revived, construction resumed, and the Union government issued the gazette notification officially nailing Amaravati as the capital.

Although political opposition continues, the construction activity is now progressing rapidly. The government aims to transform Amaravati into a modern administrative city before the 2029 Assembly elections and is determined to complete the project in a way that leaves no room for any future government, including the YSRCP, to revisit or alter the capital issue or its executive, legislative, and judicial structures.