Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is likely to seek Central approval to declare Amaravati as the definitive capital city of the state.
Technically, Amaravati is still considered the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, as the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy government’s three-capitals plan did not materialize, and the Supreme Court has not overturned the state High Court’s verdict against the three-capitals plan.
However, the Centre has not yet acknowledged Amaravati as the capital city, as evidenced by statements made by Union ministers in Parliament, which recognized the attempts of the Jagan government to establish three capitals for the state.
The Union Home Ministry even told the Supreme Court in an affidavit that the decision to have one capital or three capitals would be solely at the discretion of the state government, and whatever the government decides, the Centre will approve.
Now that Naidu has returned to power, he has declared that Amaravati will remain the capital city and that the three-capitals plan will be shelved. However, obtaining official capital status for Amaravati is a long process.
Sources say the Chief Minister is planning to request the Union Home Ministry to issue a gazette notification designating Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh, thereby securing central recognition and resolving the controversies once and for all.
If the Naidu government makes an official request, the Centre might issue a gazette notification on Amaravati. This would also allow the state government to withdraw its SLP (Special Leave Petition) in the Supreme Court filed by the previous Jagan government against Amaravati as the capital.
“The NDA parties in AP should prioritize this issue so that in the future, no party can change the capital again,” an analyst said.