Andra Pradesh, Apr 01 : The Lok Sabha on Wednesday approved a significant piece of legislation recognising Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh, marking a major political and administrative development for the state. The bill is seen as a key demand of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was introduced by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai and passed through a voice vote under the supervision of Speaker Om Birla. The legislation seeks to formally incorporate Amaravati as the state capital, providing statutory backing to an issue that has remained contentious for years.
This move effectively nullifies any future attempts to alter the capital structure, particularly reversing the previous government’s proposal of a three-capital model introduced by former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. That model had proposed Visakhapatnam as the administrative capital, Amaravati as the legislative capital, and Kurnool as the judicial capital.
The push for Amaravati gained momentum after the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on March 28, urging the Centre to amend the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act to officially name Amaravati as the capital. The amendment now gives legal recognition to that demand.
Historically, Amaravati was first announced as the capital by Naidu during his earlier tenure between 2014 and 2019, following the bifurcation of the state. However, the original 2014 Act had only specified Hyderabad as a temporary common capital for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a period of up to ten years, without naming a permanent capital for Andhra Pradesh.
With the latest amendment, Amaravati is now legally recognised as the capital with effect from June 2, 2024. The government has highlighted that considerable infrastructure and administrative development has already been undertaken in the region to support its role as the state’s capital.
The bill also holds political significance, as the TDP, a crucial ally of the ruling NDA, supports the central government with its 16 Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha.