Amaravati Declared Sole Capital as Lok Sabha Passes Key Bill Unanimously

New Delhi, April 2026 : In a significant legislative development, the Lok Sabha on Wednesday unanimously passed a Bill granting statutory recognition to Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was approved through a voice vote following an extensive two-hour debate, with broad support cutting across party lines.

The Bill amends the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, replacing the earlier reference to “a new capital” with a clear provision stating that “Amaravati shall be the new capital.” This change firmly establishes Amaravati within the legal framework as the state’s designated capital.

The legislation follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on March 28, paving the way for its introduction and passage in Parliament. As per the Bill, the term Amaravati includes the capital city areas notified under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014.

Leaders from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), along with members of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and several other parties, supported the Bill. However, Samajwadi Party leader Dharmendra Yadav, while backing the move, suggested that developing Visakhapatnam as the capital could have avoided large-scale land acquisition from farmers and reduced financial burden.

Members of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), on the other hand, staged a walkout during the debate, expressing opposition to the Bill in its current form.

Prominent leaders from NDA allies, including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Jana Sena, strongly advocated for Amaravati. Minister of State Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, TDP MP Appalanaidu, BJP MPs C.M. Ramesh and Daggubati Purandeswari, and Jana Sena MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry spoke in favor of the legislation.

During the debate, Daggubati Purandeswari highlighted Amaravati’s spiritual and historical significance, noting that Andhra Pradesh was left without a capital after its bifurcation in 2014. She described the passage of the bifurcation Bill as a “black day” in parliamentary history, alleging it was driven by political considerations without adequate discussion.

She further emphasized that Amaravati represents a “people’s capital,” built through voluntary land contributions by farmers rather than coercion, making it a unique model in India’s development narrative.

The issue of the state capital had remained contentious between 2019 and 2024, particularly during the previous YSRCP सरकार’s proposal for multiple capitals, which Purandeswari criticised as impractical.

Congress member R. Raghuram Reddy also used the opportunity to raise concerns over pending commitments to Telangana under the 2014 Reorganisation Act.

With the passage of this amendment, the Centre has sought to bring clarity and finality to the long-standing capital issue in Andhra Pradesh, marking a crucial step in the state’s administrative and developmental roadmap.