Amaravati Capital Bill Passed: Lok Sabha Declares Amaravati Andhra Pradesh’s Sole Permanent Capital

In a major development for Andhra Pradesh, the Lok Sabha has passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, formally recognising Amaravati as the state's sole and permanent capital. The move brings statutory clarity to a prolonged political and administrative battle over the state's capital, ending nearly a decade of uncertainty since bifurcation.

Bill Gives Legal Backing To Amaravati, Ends Capital Uncertainty

The amendment bill was introduced after the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on March 28, urging the Centre to amend Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The new legislation makes it clear that Amaravati will succeed Hyderabad as Andhra Pradesh's capital, with retrospective effect from June 2, 2024.

It also explicitly includes all areas notified under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act, 2014, thereby legally defining the capital region and removing any future ambiguity over the status of Amaravati.

Under the original Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Hyderabad was designated as the common capital of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a transitional period of up to 10 years after bifurcation. With this amendment, the Centre has now given Amaravati full statutory recognition as Andhra Pradesh's only capital.

TDP MP Lavu Krishna told PTI, "The bill is to recognise Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh and will provide continuity and clarity for the people."

He also told ANI that the earlier three-capital framework introduced by the previous YSR Congress Party government was now being reversed. According to him, the 2019-2025 proposal to split functions between Visakhapatnam (administrative), Amaravati (legislative), and Kurnool (judicial) was being corrected through the new law.

Naidu's Long-Pending Promise Gets Parliamentary Approval

The passage of the bill is being seen as a major political and symbolic victory for TDP chief and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who first announced Amaravati as the state capital in 2015 and pushed large-scale development plans for the greenfield city.

After the TDP lost power in 2019, the YSR Congress government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy proposed the controversial three-capital model, triggering years of protests, legal battles, and uncertainty. Amaravati farmers, in particular, remained at the centre of the movement, fearing that land pooling and capital development would lose meaning if the capital shifted elsewhere.

Following the TDP's return to power in 2024, Naidu reiterated that Amaravati would remain the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh. That political commitment was followed by the March 28 Assembly resolution, which paved the way for the Centre to bring the amendment bill to Parliament.

The bill is expected to legally cement Amaravati's status and prevent future governments from altering the capital arrangement without a fresh legislative process.

'Three Capitals' Debate Effectively Buried As TDP Scores Major Win

The Lok Sabha's approval is also being viewed as the final political blow to the "Three Capitals" proposal floated during the YSRCP regime. The Naidu-led NDA government has projected the bill as a decisive step towards restoring investor confidence, administrative stability, and public trust in the state's long-delayed capital project.

The development is being seen as a major win for the TDP, which has successfully revived the "Amaravati" narrative and secured broad support for the legislation. The Congress is understood to have backed the move, while the YSRCP reportedly walked out of the House over procedural objections, a stance that gave the ruling alliance an opportunity to portray the opposition as blocking the state's development push.

With the legal and political hurdles largely removed, the focus is now shifting back to land pooling, infrastructure rollout, and the actual construction of Amaravati as a full-fledged capital city.

Farmers' Concerns Ease, Focus Now Shifts To Building The Capital

One of the biggest takeaways from the bill's passage is the renewed confidence among farmers in the Amaravati region. Local landowners had reportedly been reluctant to participate in the second phase of land pooling due to fears that a future government could once again alter the capital plan.

Now, with Parliament granting legal backing to Amaravati, that uncertainty appears to have been addressed. The TDP-BJP alliance is expected to use this moment to accelerate land mobilisation and restart large-scale capital development.

However, while the legislative battle may now be over, the bigger challenge lies ahead. The Andhra Pradesh government must now convert this legal victory into visible on-ground progress and deliver the world-class capital city it has promised.

Timeline Of The Capital Tussle In Telugu States

• June 2, 2014: Andhra Pradesh is bifurcated, and Telangana is formed. Hyderabad becomes the common capital of both states for a transition period of up to 10 years under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
• 2014: The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act states that Andhra Pradesh must develop its own capital while continuing to use Hyderabad temporarily.
• 2014: The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act is notified, laying the legal framework for the Amaravati capital region.
• 2015: Then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu formally announces Amaravati as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh and launches major development plans.
• 2015-2019: Large-scale land pooling is undertaken in the Amaravati region, with thousands of farmers giving land for the proposed capital city.
• 2019: The YSR Congress Party comes to power under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy after defeating the TDP.

• 2019-2020: The Jagan government proposes the three-capital model:

1. Visakhapatnam as the executive/administrative capital
2. Amaravati as the legislative capital
3. Kurnool as the judicial capital

• 2020 onwards: The three-capital proposal triggers widespread protests, especially from Amaravati farmers, and leads to prolonged legal and political battles.
• 2021-2023: The capital issue remains tied up in court proceedings and political confrontation, with Amaravati supporters demanding restoration of a single-capital model.
• June 2, 2024: The 10-year transition period for Hyderabad as common capital ends under the original 2014 framework.
• 2024: The TDP returns to power in Andhra Pradesh, and N Chandrababu Naidu reiterates that Amaravati alone will be the state's capital.
• March 28, 2026: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passes a resolution asking the Centre to amend Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, to formally recognise Amaravati as the sole capital.
• 2026: The Lok Sabha passes the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, declaring Amaravati the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh.
• Retrospective effect from June 2, 2024: The amendment clarifies that Amaravati succeeds Hyderabad as Andhra Pradesh's capital from the date the shared-capital arrangement ended.