District Sub-Collector NTR S. Ilakkiya along with Collectorate staff light lamps in the Collectorate’s office in response to Nara Lokesh’s call urging people to light up their homes at 7 pm to mark the moment Amaravati got legal recognition. File | Photo credit: GN Rao
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On 2 April, Parliament passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill, 2026, which recognizes Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh. There was a broad political consensus regarding the approval of the law, with the main opposition party, the Congress, also expressing its support. Only the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which had earlier proposed a three-capital plan for the state, opposed it.
What is the background of this law?
The undivided state of Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in 2014 with the enactment of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014. This facilitated the creation of the state of Telangana and the rest of Andhra Pradesh. The Act specified that Hyderabad could be used as the capital by both states for a period not exceeding 10 years, after which Andhra Pradesh had to establish its own capital.
After the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power in Andhra Pradesh in 2014, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu declared Amaravati to be the state’s new capital and shifted his administration from Hyderabad. However, the project hit a dead end after the YSRCP came to power in 2019 and instead proposed three capital cities: Visakhapatnam as the executive capital, Amaravati as the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital.
In March 2022, a three-judge bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court ruled that the capital could not be shifted from Amaravati, primarily on the grounds that the state lacked the legislative power needed to change a policy decision taken in 2014–15. The YSRCP government challenged the High Court judgment in the Supreme Court by filing a Special Leave Petition (SLP).
When the NDA came back to power in the state, it was waiting for the SLP. The Naidu government filed an affidavit in the high court in late 2024 affirming its commitment to develop Amaravati as the capital. The SLP, filed by the YSRCP government, is in the process of being withdrawn, in line with the current government’s vision to build the capital on greenfield land.
What does Bill say?
On 28 March 2026, the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed a resolution requesting the Union Government to recognize Amaravati as the sole capital of the state. The resolution sought to amend Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, which would have specifically named Amaravati as the capital, ending the ambiguity caused by the previous proposals for three capitals. Acting on the request, the Union Government introduced the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
As mandated by Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, Hyderabad served as the joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a period of ten years beginning on 2 June 2014. This arrangement was concluded on 2 June 2024, after which Hyderabad became the exclusive capital of Telangana, establishing the new capital of Ahra Pradesh.
The new bill seeks to declare and notify Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh with effect from 2 June 2024 by inserting the words “in Amaravati” in Section 5(2) of the 2014 Act and adding the phrase “and Amaravati includes the capital areas notified under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Development Authority Act14” for explanation5.
Why Amend Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act 2014?
The change in the law is necessary because the genesis of the capital city of the successor state of Andhra Pradesh lies in this central legislation. Amaravati had to be expressly recognized as a capital with statutory provision. The State Government believed that the only way to prevent future exemptions from the transfer or distribution of capital was to amend the Act.
Why did YSRCP oppose the bill?
The YSRCP MPs said they were not opposed to the bill declaring Amaravati as the capital, but were unhappy with its “present form” as it allegedly ignored unfulfilled promises, especially regarding the land pooling scheme. This includes voluntary contributions from farmers in exchange for smaller, developed and high-value plots, making them partners in the development process. The YSRCP argued that the interests of the farmers who parted with the land for the capital project remain unresolved. Party member PV Midhun Reddy said that a clear timeline for compensation to farmers must be provided and incorporated in the bill.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh believed that the only way to prevent future exemption from transfer or distribution of capital was to amend the Reorganization Act.
Published – 05 April 2026 02:30 IST
