Lok Sabha passes Bill for statutory status to Amaravati as Andhra’s sole capital

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday unanimously passed a Bill to grant statutory recognition to Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed by a voice vote after a two-hour-long debate, which saw the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Congress, Samajwadi Party and others supporting the Bill.

However, Dharmendra Yadav of Samajwadi Party while supporting the Bill said if Visakhapatnam was developed as the state capital, there would have been no need to acquire lands from farmers and this would also have saved huge amounts of money.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) members staged a walk-out during the debate while opposing the Bill in its present form.

The Bill is aimed at amending the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, affirming Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

The proposed amendment to Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 replaces the earlier provision of “a new capital” with “Amaravati shall be the new capital,” thereby embedding Amaravati firmly within the statutory framework.

This legislative move follows the unanimous resolution passed by the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on March 28, enabling the Bill’s introduction in Parliament.

As per the explanation of the Amendment Bill, the expression “Amaravati” includes the capital city areas notified under the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014.

Members of TDP, BJP and Jana Sena, which are partners in the NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, strongly advocated for the Bill.

Minister of State for Rural Development and Communication, Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, TDP MP Appalanaidu, BJP MPs C.M. Ramesh and Daggubati Purandeswari, and Jana Sena MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry spoke in support of Amaravati as the capital.

Congress, Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) supported the Bill.

Participating in the debate, BJP member Daggubati Purandeswari said keeping the spiritual and historical significance of Amaravati in mind, it was identified to be the state capital.

She noted that while Telangana began its journey with Hyderabad as the capital which was ready, functional and globally recognised, Andhra Pradesh did not have a capital.

She said that February 8, 2014 was a black day in the annals of India’s parliamentary history as the Bill to bifurcate a state was passed without healthy discussion, with doors of the Parliament shut and cameras switched off.

She claimed that the bifurcation was driven by sheer and pure political gains by the then UPA government.

Stating that Andhra Pradesh was subjected to deep humiliation, she said it was probably the first instance in India’s history where a residual state was left with no capital at all.

Referring to the land given by farmers for the capital, she said Amaravati will be remembered in history as first people’s capital built not by coercion but by belief.

The state witnessed deep uncertainty regarding the capital between 2019 and 2024. She termed as thoughtless and mindless the decision taken by then YSRCP government to have multiple capitals.

R. Raghuram Reddy of the Congress party from Telangana raised the issues relating to unfulfilled commitments made to Telangana in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

IANS