Chandrababu Naidu dares Jaganmohan Reddy to withdraw 3 capitals plan in two days or seek fresh public mandate

Telugu Desam Party chief and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu dared Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy to withdraw his three capitals decision within 48 hours or abolish the state Legislative Assembly to seek a fresh public mandate on his decision for trifurcation.

On Monday, Naidu reminded Reddy that he and his YSRCP party leaders had, during the 2019 elections, promised people that Amaravati would continue as the only capital.

“After making such a promise, the CM has no right to shift the capital without the approval of all the five-crore people of the state,” Naidu said while addressing a virtual press conference.

In a major momentum for Reddy’s plans of constituting three capitals for Andhra Pradesh, the state’s Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan assented to the capital decentralisation bills on Friday.

The Reddy government had, in January, introduced two bills in the legislature - one to strip the Amaravati region of its capital status and other to set up three capitals for the state – the executive at Visakhapatnam, legislative capital at Amaravati and judiciary at Kurnool.

The much contentious blueprint is being opposed by the TDP and Jana Sena.

Amaravati locals, especially the region’s farmers are in an agitation mode since 17 December, when Reddy announced his intention to dismantle Naidu’s plans of a world-class, mega capital in the Guntur district.

“If the people vote for and bring the YSRCP back to power in the re-election, then the TDP would humbly accept their mandate. We would not raise any dissenting voice again,” Naidu said in a reiteration of his demand since December.

“If the CM does not come out with a proper response, the TDP along with the other opposition parties would intensify their agitation not just through legal battles but also to make the CM stand as a culprit in the people's court,” the TDP chief said.

Naidu recalled that YSRCP's 2019 election manifesto committee chairman Ummareddy Venkateswarlu “as repeatedly assuring people then that their party, if voted to power, would continue AP’s capital in Amaravati developing it into a well-equipped city.”

In 2015, when Naidu was the CM, farmers of 29 villages constituting Amaravati gave 33,000 acres for the capital under a land pooling scheme.

“Agreements were reached with thousands of farmers by the government-formed Capital Region Development Authority. Promises were made to farmers that nine cities would be developed, and large-scale investments would pour in. (The capital shift) would amount to breach of trust,” Naidu said.