Amaravati is capital of Andhra Pradesh, declares Chandrababu Naidu

Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister-designate N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday declared that Amaravati is the state capital.

Addressing a meeting of the newly-elected MLAs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which elected him as the leader, he made it clear that his government would not play with the state’s future in the name of three state capitals and would continue development of Amaravati as the state capital.

“Even after 10 years we are not in a position to say where is our state capital,” he said, slamming the previous government of YSR Congress Party for putting a halt to the development of Amaravati as the state capital.

In 2019, the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government reversed the decision by the earlier TDP government to develop Amaravati as the state capital and announced that three state capitals would be developed.

The YSCRP government had mooted Visakhapatnam as the administrative capital, Kurnool as the judicial capital and Amaravati as the legislative capital.

“Our capital is Amaravati,” declared Naidu, who is set to take oath as the Chief Minister on Wednesday.

Naidu assured that Visakhapatnam will be developed as a financial capital and a modern city and Kurnool will be developed in all respects.

Revealing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA leaders will attend the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, Naidu said the Centre’s help was required for the state’s development.

The Chief Minister-designate vowed to complete the Polavaram project. Claiming that the TDP government in the past had completed 72 per cent of the works, he said the remaining works would be completed with the Centre’s help.

Stating that their government will be a ‘people’s government’, the TDP chief said there would be no Praja Vedika-like demolitions.

He was referring to the demolition of a meeting hall adjacent to his house, which was built when he was the chief minister.

Alleging that the previous government pursued politics of vendetta, he underlined the need to move ahead with constructive politics.

Naidu said the people gave an unprecedented mandate to the TDP and its allies in the state. “We have won 93 per cent of seats. This is the first time in the country,” he said.

Asserting that 57 per cent of people voted for the alliance, the TDP chief said it was now time to live up to their expectations by rebuilding the state.

He was all praise for Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan for taking the initiative to ally with the TDP when he (Naidu) was in jail. Later, the BJP also joined hands with them, thus ensuring that the anti-YSRCP votes were not split.

Reiterating that the YSRCP government carried out destruction, Naidu said those who indulged in irregularities would be punished as per the law.

The TDP chief also recalled that his family was insulted in the Assembly. “I called it Kaurava Sabha and came out. I vowed to return to the Assembly after a win in the people's court. People supported me in fulfilling this pledge,” he said.

Stating that he served as the Chief Minister for 14 years and Leader of Opposition for 15 years, Naidu said he converted every crisis into opportunity. “Andhra Pradesh has many problems. The state is in complete ruins. All sections have suffered. Farmers have landed in debt,” he said.

Naidu also assured that during his visits there will be no closure of shops and roads and putting up curtains. “Chief Minister is also an ordinary man. The post is for service and not for supremacy. I have told (police) not to inconvenience people during the movement of my convoy,” he said