NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeking to recognise Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh, with the opposition Congress also supporting it along with the NDA.
Once the bill becomes a law, Amaravati will be the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh with retrospective effect from June 2, 2024. However, opposing the bill during the debate, YSR Congress Party MPs staged a walk out.
The bill was passed by a voice vote, fulfilling the aspiration of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose party TDP is a key ally of the ruling NDA.
Responding to a nearly two-hour-long debate on the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai thanked members for supporting the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly resolution that urged the Centre to provide legal backing to Amaravati as the State capital.
Initiating the debate on the bill, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said his party fully supports the legislation but wants special status for AP as promised at the time of State bifurcation. “Let Amaravati develop like Bengaluru, Chennai or Hyderabad. Let Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Kurnool also develop. We support Amaravati as the permanent capital of AP,” he said.
TDP member and Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani appealed to the House to pass the bill unanimously as it will ensure a permanent capital for Andhra Pradesh.
Opposing the bill, YSRCP member PV Midhun Reddy said 34,000 acres were acquired by the State government for the development of Amaravati as the capital with the promise of giving free developed plots, a housing scheme and free education for the children of the affected people. However, nothing has been given to them so far. “They are not bothered about farmers. Give a specific date, a specific timeline - when the plots will be given to the farmers. Incorporate all these points in the bill. Otherwise, there is no meaning,” the YSRCP MP said.
Amaravati will be permanent capital of AP: MP
He alleged that the TDP-led NDA government in the State was not concerned about where the huge amount of funds would come from for the development of such a large capital.
Supporting the bill, BJP member C M Ramesh said this is the first time in the history of independent India that a bill was brought to Parliament to declare a particular place as the capital of a State. From now onwards, “no one will be able to play” with the capital of Andhra Pradesh as Amaravati will be the sole and permanent capital of the State, he said.
Ramesh termed the proposal to have three capitals by the previous YSRCP regime as “illogical and irrational”. We want a permanent capital for Andhra Pradesh and then there will be revenue and the State will flourish,” he said.
On March 28, the AP Legislative Assembly passed a resolution requesting the Centre to amend Section 5 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 to incorporate the name of “Amaravati” as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh. To give effect to the resolution of the Legislative Assembly, and to provide “statutory clarity regarding the capital” of AP, the bill proposes to amend Sub-section (2) of Section 5 of the reorganisation law to incorporate the name of “Amaravati” as the new capital of AP with retrospective effect from June 2, 2024.