BJP advises Jaggan not to shift capital from Amravati

Terming the decision of the Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s government to review the construction of Amaravati as hasty, Bharatiya Janata Party state unit president Kanna Lakshminarayana on Tuesday declared full support to the farmers that have donated land for the construction of the state capital. He along with party MP Sujana Chowdary visited several villages in the capital region and met with the farmers.

“After the state was bifurcated it was decided that Amaravati will be state capital and I was one of the leaders who supported that move. Even Jagan during his Padayatra assured farmers here that he will not move the capital from this region,” Kanna recalled. He further said that Jagan with his hasty and unmindful decision is taking the state backwards. “I only see hasty decisions that are putting the state’s development in jeopardy,” he said.

Sujana Chowdary who was with the TDP during the past five years and joined the BJP after TDP’s debacle in the elections also came for the rescue of the farmers. “Shifting of capital is not easy. Many structures were already built and the landscape has changed a lot,” he said. He recalled that the construction of the state capital in the current location begun after getting permission from the National Green Tribunal.

Farmers shout slogans

Beneficiaries belonging to weaker sections shouted slogans against the Chief Minister when his convoy passed through the Mandadam village. Sujana Chowdary was at the spot inspecting the houses built for the weaker sections by the TDP government. The beneficiaries wanted to vent their anger against Jagan as the new government has stopped construction and allocation of the houses built in the capital for the benefit of those landless farmers that depended on the fertile land. Jagan who seems to have noticed the farmer just gestured from his car and left without stopping.

Four capitals for AP

Meanwhile BJP spokes person Raghunatha Babu said that the statement of party leader and party Rajya Sabha MP TG Venkatesh was his personal. Venkatesh has said in Kurnool that he got information that Jaganmohan Reddy is mulling to opt for four-capitals for the state to decentralize administration and also development. “Vizianagaram, Kakinada, Guntur and Kadapa will be developed as capital cities. Jagan has already told the centre about his plan to decentralize the capital and shift capital out of Amaravati,” he told reporters.