Will Amaravati remain the capital of Andhra Pradesh, if Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party were to come to power in the 2019 elections?
What kind of a question is this, one may ask. Only recently, the manifesto committee chairman of the party Ummareddy Venkateswarlu clarified that his party endorsed Amaravati as the capital. He also said the same will be incorporated in YSR Congress manifesto. He said the propaganda to the contrary was the handiwork of TDP.
Ummareddy’s clarification was thought to be a timely gesture to preempt any negative voting on this score. The people of Krishna, Guntur, East and West Godavari districts, especially, would not appreciate any deviation on this matter.
However, Jagan, in his India Today Conclave gave a different response. Asked whether he would continue with Amaravati as the capital if he were to be voted, Jagan said it was a ‘catch 22’ situation. He went to allege that Chandrababu resorted to ‘insider’ trading as he had leaked to his men about the new capital location. TDP men bought lands in the new capital because of this inside knowledge. Chandrababu’s Heritage Company also purchased lands, Jagan said. For him, Amaravati was a ‘big scam’.
But strangely, he did not give a direct response to Rahul Kanwal’s question. Jagan did not say whether he was okay with Amaravati as the capital. His vague response suggested that he was hiding his thoughts on this issue. Which means, he is harbouring other ideas. And that he still hopes to keep his options open on continuing with Amaravati as the capital.
It is surprising that Jagan was so vague about the capital even now. Only recently, he had a house-warming ceremony conducted for his newly built spacious home near Mangalagiri.
Amaravati is an important issue in the next elections. If Jagan had other ideas about the capital, he should come out with it openly.
